A broker arrested over an alleged kidney racket that was exposed recently at Western Hospital in Borella Cotta Road was yesterday ordered to be remanded until December 13 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
Suspect Basir Mohomed Rajabdeen is to be produced before an identification parade on the next hearing date.
Meanwhile, Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya imposed a travel ban on six directors of the private hospital, including its Chief Medical Officer, following a request made by the prosecutors. This travel ban order is to be communicated to the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration.
Senior Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Pieris, representing the Colombo Crimes Division, told the court that kidneys had been extracted from impoverished people and that they had been promised Rs. 5 million to Rs. 10 million for each kidney.According to Peiris, the investigations have revealed that this hospital has performed 52 kidney-related operations this year.
It was further revealed that six individuals who donated their kidneys to the hospital have lodged complaints with the police for defaulting on payments owed to them in lieu of donating their kidneys. One of the complainants alleged that he was compelled to donate a kidney to the hospital since they insisted that the kidney would be transplanted to the senior doctor of the hospital and he would be paid Rs. 9.5 million for the deal. The complaints alleged that they were yet to receive cash for their donations.
The prosecutors are conducting investigations into local and foreign networks behind the racket.
