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Supreme Court Sets Payment Deadline in Medical Procurement Contempt Case
27 Oct, 2026
The Supreme Court has given former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and three former health officials three months to pay sums ordered in a medical procurement case, following a contempt application by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).
At a hearing on 26 October, the court also imposed overseas travel bans on the four respondents and ordered their release on bail, according to TISL.
The application concerns a Supreme Court judgment delivered on 27 March 2026, which found that five respondents had violated the fundamental right to equal protection of the law in connection with the procurement of medical supplies.
The court ordered Rambukwella to pay Rs. 75 million to the State and the other four respondents to pay Rs. 50 million each, totalling Rs. 275 million. Transparency International Sri Lanka
TISL filed the contempt application on 12 October, alleging that the respondents had wilfully failed to comply with the payment orders. The allegations remain before court.
At the hearing, former National Medicines Regulatory Authority Chairman Prof. S. D. Jayaratne informed the court that he had paid Rs. 50 million on 22 October, TISL said.
The organisation said Rambukwella had paid Rs. 20 million and undertaken to pay the remaining Rs. 55 million within two weeks. His counsel’s account of the Rs. 20 million payment was also reported by News 1st. newsfirst.lk
Former Health Ministry Secretary S. J. S. Chandraguptha, former NMRA Chief Executive Dr Vijith Gunasekara and former Medical Supplies Division Director Dr A. Thusitha Sudharshana gave separate undertakings to settle their amounts, according to TISL.
The four were ordered to fulfil bail conditions within one week. TISL said the matter would be taken up again on 15 February 2027.
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