The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today ordered the further remand of Dr. Maheshi Wijeratne, a specialist neurosurgeon at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital, until July 15. She was arrested and produced before court by the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption.
The Court also ordered the release on bail of two individuals arrested alongside her: Kekulandala Liyanage Indika, a managing assistant at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital, and Muthukuda Arachchige Nimal Ranjith Muthukuda, a resident of Kadawatha, who worked at a private company owned by Dr. Wijeratne.
The three individuals were arrested and remanded on June 17 by the Bribery Commission. Dr. Wijeratne and the others are accused of selling items required for neurosurgical procedures to patients at prices ranging from Rs. 120,000 to Rs. 250,000 through an external institution controlled by her, without including these items in the hospital’s annual estimate. This allegedly caused a financial loss to the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital and its patients, while generating excessive profits for herself or her affiliated parties.
The items sold included EVDs and VP shunts. For example, in 2022, the price of an EVD item purchased by the Medical Supplies Division was only Rs. 17,500, and its average current market price is around Rs. 46,500. However, the private institution referred by Dr. Wijeratne sold this item to patients at prices ranging from Rs. 120,000 to Rs. 250,000.
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