Court to reveal Lalith Kotelawala’s cause of death on 11 June

The Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court is expected to reveal the cause of death of prominent businessman Lalith Kothalawala on 11 June. Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasinghe made this announcement yesterday.

The post-mortem report regarding Kotelawala’s death was submitted to the court on 22 May. Initially scheduled for announcement on 28 May, the court’s decision was later postponed to 11 June.

Renowned Sri Lankan entrepreneur Lalith Kotelawala passed away on 21 October 2023, at the age of 84. Following his demise, a case was filed by the elder sister of Kotalawala’s wife, 84-year-old Sherin Wijeratne, alleging foul play in his death.

During court proceedings, Wijeratne expressed concerns that Kotelawala might have been intentionally harmed and claimed that he was held captive by a group in a dark room towards the end of his life. She recounted how he was manipulated by a group, including lawyers and former policemen, after facing setbacks like the Golden Key debacle. Wijeratne elaborated on how the group coerced Kotelawala into transferring valuable properties into their names.

She highlighted the family’s restricted access to Kotelawala, revealing that permission from the group was necessary for any communication with him. Wijeratne also questioned why Kotelawala was taken to a specific hospital despite the availability of closer options.

She also disclosed how the family felt powerless to intervene due to their unfamiliarity with dealing with both the police and the individuals controlling Kotelawala.

Lalith Kotelawala, former Chairman of Ceylinco Consolidated and founding Chairman of Seylan Bank, was reportedly undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Colombo at the time of his passing. He was the nephew of Sir John Kotelawala, the third Prime Minister of Ceylon.