Court Rejects Bail for Pharma Owner in Vaccine Scandal

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo High Court today (7) rejected a bail application filed by Sudath Janaka Fernando, the owner of a controversial pharmaceutical company currently in remand custody over the alleged distribution of substandard immunization vaccines to hospitals across Sri Lanka.

The order was issued by High Court Judge Indrika Kalingawansa, who stated that the bail request could not be considered by her court, as the case is already being heard before a Trial-at-Bar comprising High Court judges.

Judge Kalingawansa further clarified that no case related to the suspect is currently pending before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court, and therefore, her court lacks jurisdiction to issue a bail order in this matter.

The suspect, identified as the primary accused in the vaccine distribution scandal, had filed the bail application citing that he has been held in remand for nearly one and a half years, and that a previous bail request made to the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court had been rejected.

Through his counsel, Fernando requested the High Court to revise the earlier order and grant bail. However, the judge directed that the application be submitted to the Trial-at-Bar handling the case.