The Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court has directed authorities to record statements from 18 former Cabinet Ministers regarding the alleged importation of substandard human immunoglobulin vials.

The order, issued by Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrema, targets prominent former officials, including ex-President Ranil Wickremesinghe, ex-Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, and former Ministers Tiran Alles, Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, Mahinda Amaraweera, and Keheliya Rambukwella.

The Atto ey General’s Department informed the court that statements from these individuals are crucial, as they approved the Cabinet paper for the importation of the questioned drugs. The case, rooted in an October 2023 discovery by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), involves alleged forged documents submitted for Customs clearance, with the batch failing subsequent quality checks.

To date, 12 individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, most of whom have been released on bail, including former Health Minister Rambukwella, who was remanded for over seven months before being released on September 11, 2024.