Keheliya Rambukwella
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)
8
Legal matters
2
Investigations
2
Charges pending
0
Acquitted / dismissed
Next in court
Not publicly confirmed
Keheliya Rambukwella is currently on trial.
Criminal prosecution arising from the procurement of substandard human immunoglobulin; a three-judge Trial-at-Bar was appointed and indictments were filed against Rambukwella and other accused.
The full running account, event by event, is in the Timeline and Court Cases tabs below.
Keheliya Rambukwella legal timeline
Next Step Pending
Not yet scheduled (27 Apr 2026 trial date: outcome not reported)
Court: Colombo High Court
Sources (2)
Next Step Pending
Supreme Court reportedly ordered Rambukwella personally to pay Rs.75m to the State and directed CIABOC to consider further action.
Court: Supreme Court
Sources (1)
- 13 October 2026Supreme Court contempt application over …
Application Filed
Transparency International Sri Lanka filed an application asking the Supreme Court to take contempt of court action against Keheliya Rambukwella, alleging he has not paid sums ordered in an earlier fundamental rights case. No hearing date or decision has been reported. An application is not a finding against him.
Court: Supreme Court
Sources (1)
- 18 August 2026Sandagala moonstone investigation interf…
Bail Granted
Arrested 18 Aug 2026 and granted bail the same day with travel restrictions.
Sources (2)
- 18 August 2026Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation staff a…
Bail Granted
Keheliya Rambukwella was arrested by CIABOC and released on bail on 18 Aug 2026 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court in the Rupavahini staff recruitment case, on two personal bonds of Rs. 5 million each and a foreign travel ban. CIABOC alleges six employees were recruited beyond the approved cadre and attached to his staff, causing a loss of about Rs. 14.3 million; these are allegations.
Court: Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court
Sources (2)
- 3 June 2025Ministerial personal staff corruption ca…
Bail Granted
Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali released him on cash and personal bonds and barred him from travelling abroad. Reports give different bond amounts.
Court: Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court
Sources (2)
Remanded
The Magistrate's Court ordered him held until 20 May 2025.
Court: Colombo Magistrate's Court
Sources (2)
Arrested
The Bribery Commission arrested Rambukwella over three corruption cases alleging that people placed on his ministerial personal staffs were paid about Rs. 8 million without doing the work.
Sources (2)
- 11 September 2024Human immunoglobulin procurement case
Bail Granted
After about seven months in custody the Maligakanda Magistrate released him on two personal bonds of Rs. 5 million each and a Rs. 100,000 cash deposit, banned him from foreign travel and ordered him to hand over his passport.
Court: Maligakanda Magistrate's Court
Sources (2)
- 15 February 2024Human immunoglobulin procurement case
Remanded
Keheliya Rambukwella and six others were further remanded until 29 February 2024 by the Maligakanda Magistrate's Court.
Court: Maligakanda Magistrate's Court
Sources (1)
- 3 February 2024Human immunoglobulin procurement case
Remanded
The Maligakanda Magistrate's Court remanded Keheliya Rambukwella until 15 February 2024. The Deputy Solicitor General, for the Attorney General, said the allegation was conspiracy and aiding and abetting in supplying the immunoglobulin to the medical supply department.
Court: Maligakanda Magistrate's Court
Sources (1)
- 2 February 2024Human immunoglobulin procurement case
Arrested
The CID arrested Keheliya Rambukwella after he came to its office to give a statement about the human immunoglobulin procurement, following questioning of about ten hours.
Court: High Court Trial-at-Bar, Colombo
Sources (1)
Keheliya Rambukwella court cases
8
Cases Total
2
Under Investigation
1
Indicted
1
Trial Ongoing
2
Status Unclear
Human immunoglobulin procurement case
Criminal prosecution arising from the procurement of substandard human immunoglobulin; a three-judge Trial-at-Bar was appointed and indictments were filed against Rambukwella and other accused.
What’s happened
Trial-at-Bar proceedings are active. He had previously spent months in remand before being released on bail.
- Court
- High Court Trial-at-Bar, Colombo
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
Rs. 94.6 million family money laundering case
Money-laundering prosecution against Keheliya Rambukwella and five family members involving approximately Rs. 94.6 million and 43 charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
What’s happened
CIABOC states charges were filed under sections 3(1)(a) and 3(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act read with section 112 of the Anti-Corruption Act. Trial was fixed for 27 Apr 2026 in reporting located.
- Court
- Colombo High Court
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
Sources (2)
Sandagala moonstone investigation interference case
Investigation into alleged interference with the inquiry into the theft of the historic Sandagala moonstone at Kundasale.
What’s happened
Arrested 18 Aug 2026 and granted bail the same day with travel restrictions.
- Court
- Not publicly confirmed
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
Sources (2)
Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation staff appointments case
Alleged appointment of six employees beyond the approved Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation cadre and attachment to personal staff, with a reported state loss of about Rs.14.325m.
What’s happened
Arrested and granted bail 18 Aug 2026; travel restrictions imposed.
- Court
- Not publicly confirmed
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
Sources (2)
Ministerial personal staff corruption cases
CIABOC reported three corruption cases alleging that friends, relatives or supporters were placed on ministerial personal staffs without performing the stated duties, with approximately Rs.8.0m in salaries/allowances allegedly obtained.
What’s happened
Arrested 7 May 2025 and remanded to 20 May. Exact mapping of the three matters to later High Court case numbers remains unresolved.
- Court
- Not publicly confirmed
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
Sources (2)
Health Ministry official vehicles investigation
CIABOC investigation into alleged misuse or failure to return official vehicles after leaving the Health Ministry.
- Court
- Not publicly confirmed
- Next hearing / due
- No upcoming hearing announced
Sources (1)
Indian Credit Line procurement fundamental rights case
Supreme Court fundamental-rights judgment concerning procurement under the Indian Credit Line. This is a non-criminal judgment and must not be described as a criminal conviction.
What’s happened
Supreme Court reportedly ordered Rambukwella personally to pay Rs.75m to the State and directed CIABOC to consider further action.
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
Sources (1)
Supreme Court contempt application over alleged non-compliance with order
Transparency International Sri Lanka filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking contempt proceedings against Keheliya Rambukwella and several others over alleged failure to comply with a court order. The filing does not establish that contempt occurred.
What’s happened
Application filed in October 2026 seeking action for alleged non-compliance with a court order; no decision or hearing date is reported.
16 October 2026: Transparency International Sri Lanka filed the application (reported 13-14 October 2026). No hearing has been reported; an earlier entry recording 13 October as a hearing was removed.
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
Sources (3)
Keheliya Rambukwella in the news
In the news
Stories in the news feed that name Keheliya Rambukwella, with every outlet’s report of each grouped together. These are other outlets’ reports; what they say is not Nadu’s verified record.
No stories naming Keheliya Rambukwella in the news right now. New reports appear here as outlets publish them.
Keheliya Rambukwella political career
Ministerial positions
Minister of Science and Technology
2003–2004
Minister of Policy Development and Implementation
2006–2007
Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare
2007–2010
Minister of Mass Media / Information portfolios
2010–2015
State Minister of Investment Promotion
2019–2020
Minister of Mass Media
2020–2021
Minister of Health
2021–2023
Minister of Environment
2023–2024
Other political positions
No other positions publicly confirmed.
Keheliya Rambukwella party history
Part of his early political career; exact membership dates remain unpinned.
UNP membership is established by 2000; crossed to the governing coalition on 25 Jan 2006.
Confirmed as an SLFP Central Committee member by Sep 2011; exact joining and ending dates remain unresolved.
Sources (1)
Described as an 'SLPP stalwart' in Feb 2024 reporting around his resignation as Minister of Environment; elected on the SLPP/SLPFA ticket in the 2020 parliamentary election. Exact SLFP-to-SLPP transition date not independently established — this entry was previously missing from the record, which let a stale SLFP entry (last touched 2011) surface as his 'current' party by fallback.