A doubt remains whether deaths occurred from the use of the drug, even after the company in the substandard medicine case was changed.

Testifying before the Permanent Three-Judge High Court regarding the controversial case of importing substandard drugs, Ms. Diana Nishanthi Devasurendra, Accountant and Acting Deputy General Manager of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation, stated that it is not possible to confirm whether five patients died after using the said drug, even after the supply of the drug was removed from 'Isolex Bio Pharma' company and assigned to two other companies, without examining financial and administrative documents. She further emphasized that she could only state whether the full amount due to the newly importing companies, 'Celagen Life Science' and 'Isho Biotech Pharma', has been paid after examining the relevant documents.

This trial was called before the Permanent Three-Judge High Court comprising High Court Judges Priyantha Liyanage (Chairman), Viraj Weerasuriya, and Thilakarathna Bandara. Responding to cross-questions raised by defense attorneys Hareendra Banagala and Nuwan Gunawardena, the witness stated that she had no definite understanding of the basis or purpose on which this legal proceeding was being conducted. She further admitted that the Criminal Investigation Department had recorded a statement from her regarding the financial status of her institution, and that the financial documents she allegedly prepared only bore her signature, with no signature of any other higher official to approve or verify them.

During the cross-examination in the case, extensive inquiries were made regarding the institution's liquidity and financial stability. The witness explained that the negative value for trade and other payables in the 2022 financial reports was due to changes in trade borrowings, indicating an increase in money owed to the institution. She rejected the accusation that the Pharmaceuticals Corporation lacked liquidity by 2022, admitting that the financial position for that year was Rs. 10.324 billion. Furthermore, she stated before the court that she was not responsible for the alleged irregularities in the procurement process and that her responsibility was limited solely to the financial sector.

This case has been filed by the Attorney General under 14 charges of misappropriating nearly Rs. 144 million in government funds by supplying fraudulently prepared Rituximab and Human Immunoglobulin drugs to the Department of Health between September 2, 2022, and September 4, 2023. Charges have been filed against twelve defendants in connection with this serious financial fraud, and the list is as follows:

Sudath Janaka Fernando (Owner of Isolex Biotech Pharma)

Keheliya Bandara Dissanayake Rambukwella (Former Minister of Health)

Janaka Chandragupta (Former Secretary of Health)

Dr. Wijith Gunasekara (Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority)

Dr. Kapila Wickramanayake (Director of the Drug Supply Division)

Devashanthi Solomon (Assistant Director of the Medical Supplies Division)

Marakkala Manage Niran Dhananjaya (Accountant of the Medical Supplies Division)

Maha Madachchi Wasantha Kumara (Stock Controller Officer of the Drug Supply Unit)

Herath Mudiyanselage Dharmasiri Rathnakumara Herath (Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health)

Buthpitiya Lekamlage Don Jayanath (Medical Officer of the Drug Supply Unit)

Rathnayake Mudiyanselage Saman Kusum Siri Rathnayake (Additional Secretary of the Drug Regulation and Supply Regulation Division)

Arambegedara Thusitha Sudarshana (Deputy Director of the Medical Supplies Division)

For the afternoon session of the trial, Mr. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Dinesh Ekanayake Kudangamuwa, an officer from the Department of Suspicious Government Documents, was summoned to give evidence, and he was recalled for the further hearing of the case on the following day.