Former Health Minister's frauds, corruption , commissions surface on new Minister’s probes

(Lanka-e-News 09.April.2010 11.45PM)
The huge frauds, corruption and commission collections in the imports and purchases of drugs and equipments to Govt. Hospitals during the tenure of Office of the former Minister of health , Nimal Siripala De Silva have been unearthed in a probe conducted by the new Minister Maithripala Sirisena .

It was the State pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) which was importing drugs for the Govt. Hospitals. In the past it was revealed time and again that , though drugs were ordered , the relevant letters of credits were not opened for their import.; and because the necessary funds were not passed by the Treasury , there was an acute shortage of drugs in the Hospitals .

A Treasury Secretary who inquired into this situation recently , found that the Treasury has made the necessary arrangements with the Bank of Ceylon for the release of Rs. 6000 million for the import of the drugs.. On the contrary ,what the officials of the Health Ministry and the SPC have done is they have delayed placing the order for the import by claiming there is no money in the Govt. and purchased the drugs at uncontrolled prices locally paying high prices. It is a well known fact that when such purchases are made locally , huge Commissions are in store for them.

Under the instructions of the present Minister Maithripala Sirisena , already an internal audit investigation has been initiated. Meanwhile , those who negotiated these deals who are in an embarrassing situation due to these exposures now , are moving heaven and earth to influence the President to bring back Nimal Siripala to the Health Ministry, reports say.

The drugs which were ordered last January are now on the way and is very near to arrival. However , the receipt of these drugs were delayed because , priority was given to purchases of drugs in the local market without allocating the funds for the import , sources say.

It is reported that high ranking officials of the Health Dept. from the Director General down are to be given transfers on the conclusion that these frauds and corruption have possibly indeed occurred.