JVP calls on officials caught over immunoglobulin scam to spill the beans on political masters behind it

By Saman Indrajith

Investigations on immunoglobulin scam are taking turns to confirm again and again that public servants would finally have to be responsible personally themselves for carrying out illegal orders given to them by their political masters, says the JVP-led NPP.

Addressing a press conference held at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, NPP General Secretary Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe on Tuesday said: “The law says that every government worker must check if the orders they get from politicians are fair and make sense. They should only follow orders that feel right to them and don’t go against what they believe is right.

“This is now further affirmed as immunoglobulin scam is being probed and public servants are held liable for carrying out illegal orders by their political masters. We all know that officials implement the orders given to them by political authorities including the minister. However, the law provides that the public officials must act within the frame of legality despite the orders by their higher ups. If they carry out all the orders without hesitation and ascertain that they are manifestly justifiable, then the officials will become the offenders. This is relevant for the officials now being hauled up before the law pertaining to the immunoglobulin scam,” Dr. Abeysinghe said.

NPP National Executive Committee member and JVP former Kalutara District MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa: “People could ascertain the quality of most of the consumables they purchase from the market. They can choose and buy commodities such as coconuts, fish or clothes, but they cannot do that with regard to medicine. It is the duty of the government to ensure that citizens get the right medicine. The regulation of medicine being provided is with the government.”

“There are many regulatory bodies set up and functioning using public money. It has been found that 22,500 units of questionable immunoglobulin have been purchased from last July to September and distributed among government hospitals. There had been many complaints of side-effects after providing these medicines to patients especially from Colombo, Kandy and Matale hospitals.

Subsequent tests found that the medicines were harmful. Investigations have found there had been a business transaction of around one billion rupees and there is evidence of many malpractices, underhand deals, breaking of laws and regulations and wrongdoings throughout the process of purchasing immunoglobulin. Now the officials’ heads are on the block and it’s time for them to reveal the names of politicians involved in this, so that people could make a decision on them in coming elections,” Dr Jayatissa said.