Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking contempt proceedings against former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and four former officials, alleging that they failed to pay sums ordered by the Court in a case concerning the procurement of substandard medicines.
The petition, numbered SC/Contempt/09/2026, concerns alleged non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgment delivered on March 27, 2026, in fundamental rights case SC/FR/65/2023.
The other respondents are the former Secretary to the Ministry of Health, the former Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), and the former Director of the Medical Supplies Division.
In its judgment, the Supreme Court ordered Rambukwella to pay Rs. 75 million to the State and directed each of the other four respondents to pay Rs. 50 million.
The Court found that the respondents had failed to establish the need to procure medicines on an emergency basis. It also found that they had knowingly breached procurement procedures when purchasing medicines from a private supplier.
The Supreme Court ruled that the respondents had violated the fundamental right to equal protection of the law guaranteed under Article 12(1) of the Constitution.
TISL said it filed the contempt petition after obtaining confirmation from the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Health that the court-ordered sums had not been paid.
The petition was filed under Article 105(
