Rape? Complain to CID, NMRA boss tells Dr. Bellana

The National Medicines Regulatory Authority has called on the President of the Government Medical Officers’ Forum (GMOF), Dr. Rukshan Bellana, to submit to the CID any information he may have regarding an alleged rape that reportedly occurred on the NMRA premises, as mentioned by him during a recent press conference.

Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, the Chairman of NMRA, in a statement said that Dr. Bellana stated during the aforementioned press conference that a woman had been raped at the NMRA and implicated a member of the NMRA board of directors in the crime.

The NMRA Chairman said that the accusation of rape is a serious Penal Code offense adding that as a law-abiding citizen, Bellana is obligated to provide details and information about such a crime to the police.

Wijewickrema said that there have been no reports of such a rape incident at the NMRA since the new board of directors assumed their duties in July 2022. He called the allegation as “baseless, untrue, and intended to mislead the public.”

Referring to Bellana’s reference on a board appointment to the NMRA, Wijewickrema said according to the NMRA Act, the minister can appoint four members to the NMRA based on their proven qualifications in the fields of management, law, accountancy and healthcare.

Attorney-at-Law Manoj Gamage was appointed to this position in July 2022 under the powers vested in the minister by the Act. Gamage is a non-executive director of the NMRA and does not receive any salary.

He is entitled only to a transport allowance for attending the monthly board of directors’ meetings.