The Attorney General informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate yesterday that the deletion of data from the computer system of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) could be an act of drug smugglers.
The Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Pieris, appearing for the CID, made these remarks when the magisterial inquiry into the alleged disappearances of data files at NMRA, was taken up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala.
The Deputy Solicitor General told the court that the responsibility for maintaining the computer database of the NMRA vested with a private company named EPIC Lanka Technologies for five years.
The Deputy Solicitor General alleged the private company had failed to fulfil its responsibilities, and the relevant files have disappeared due to its negligence.
The Deputy Solicitor General further alleged that the private company has failed to preserve relevant data as a form of backup data as well.
The Deputy Solicitor General warned that due to the disappearance of the database, pharmaceutical companies have been able to set the prices for medicines as they wish. Meanwhile, the Chief Magistrate decided to vacate its previous order issued preventing the updating of the relevant database.
On September 9, Harindra Kalpage the CEO of EPIC Lanka technologies that managed the database of the NMRA arrested in connection with this incident was granted bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
