Mr. JR Jayewardene’s passport

(Excerpted from In Pursuit of Governance, autobiography of MDD Peiris, Secretary to the PM)

Mr. JR Jayewardene was one of the most senior Members of Parliament, Leader of the United National Party and the Leader of the Opposition. During this time, due to the extremely adverse foreign exchange situation, very tight exchange control regulations were in place, and the government was almost obsessed with this question. Those leaving the country only received an allowance of £ 3.50, which was barely sufficient for a sandwich and a cup of tea. In order to go abroad, proof had to be shown to the Exchange Control authorities, that someone from abroad was sponsoring your journey and stay in that particular country.

There was a special Court sitting in order to try exchange control offences, and a section of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police was working full time, tracking down violations. Superintendent of Police Tyrell Goonetilleke, an able and experienced investigator was in charge of this section. When on an investigation, Tyrell was a single minded and relentless pursuer of anybody and anything. He was a trained “bloodhound.”

One morning at about 9 a.m. I dropped in at Temple Trees, on my way to the Republic Square Office. I had with me two urgent and important letters, which I had drafted the previous evening and taken home, with the idea of obtaining the Prime Minister’s signature the first thing next morning. This was the reason for my unscheduled visit to Temple Trees.

When I got down from the car under the main portico, I saw the Prime Minister seated at the dining table from where she often worked. Seated besides her was Tyrell Goonetilleke. She, seeing me walking into the verandah asked me to come in. I said. I would wait until she finished, but she wanted me to come and join the discussion.

To my astonishment, Tyrell was saying that the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. JR Jayewardene was due to arrive at Katunayake shortly, from Bangkok, after a visit to Australia: that he suspected that he had committed exchange control offences; that he had already stationed senior CID officers at the airport; and that he urgently required the Prime Minister’s approval to take over his passport at the airport, the moment lie landed.

It was clear that the Prime Minister was also taken aback by this request. She was not inclined to grant permission. Tyrell kept on insisting. He was now the “bloodhound” on the trail oblivious to all other considerations. The Prime Minister suggested that if he wanted to see Mr. Jayewardene’s passport, he could go to his Ward Place residence, once he reached home and ask for it.

But Tyrell was now in a near trance. He said that unless the passport was taken into custody the moment Mr. Jayewardene landed, he might if given time suspect something and destroy the passport. I was now in an invidious position. I was there by pure accident. Tyrell had sought this confidential appointment with the Prime Minister. But I could see that she needed support in her reluctance to agree to the course of action suggested.

A couple of times, whilst this conversation was going on. I looked hard at the Prime Minister and signaled with my eyes that she should not agree. Tyrell kept on pressing. He was saying that the plane was due in half an hour and that he had to alert his people at the airport within the next 15 minutes. The Prime Minister then thought of discussing this matter with her Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Mr. WT Jayasinghe. She wanted a call put through to him. But his number was engaged, and the switchboard could not get through.

She then asked me to immediately go to the Ministry, which was just a five-minute drive away, speak to WT and get him to call her over the telephone. I kept my two letters with her and went to the Ministry. WT was at a meeting of the Security Council, presided over that day by Mr. Lakshman Jayakody, the Deputy Minister. I hastily scribbled a note and sent it in requesting him to come out immediately. When he did so, we went to an unoccupied room and I briefed him.

He, like me, thought the whole project reckless and not supportable. He thought the Prime Minister was quite right in refusing to accede to this request. In the meantime, he rang up the Immigration Counter at the Airport and inquired as to when the flight would be landing. The Immigration Officer replied that the flight was already landing. It had arrived about ten minutes ahead of schedule. This solved the problem. There was now, no time to get back to the Prime Minister, in order for her to take a decision. We just kept her informed of the situation. One could feel the considerable relief, which this latest turn of events gave her.

It later transpired that the UNP had suspected that there could be some incident when Mr. Jayewardene arrived and the airport had been thronged with party supporters. If there had been any attempt to seize his passport, an ugly situation would undoubtedly have developed. Later, when Mr. Jayewardene had got to know details of what might have happened, he was furious. and in this mood he had telephoned the quite innocent WT and given him a telling off.

Since it was WT’s nature that in such circumstances, he maintained a resigned and stoic silence, Mr. Jayewardene might well have believed that he was an active participant in this whole episode. Therefore, when the government changed and Mr. Jayewardene became Prime Minister, WT had cleared his table and was waiting to be sent home on retirement.

But Mr. Menikdiwela, Mr. Jayewardene’s Secretary had briefed him on what an honourable person WT was, and as a result much to his surprise, the new Prime Minister offered him a choice of being Secretary either in Defence or Foreign Affairs, because for the first time since independence, the new government was going to separate the two functions in separate Ministries. WT chose Foreign Affairs.

This was not the end of the matter. The new government appointed a special Judicial Tribunal and leveled several charges against Mrs. Bandaranaike. One such charge was her alleged complicity in the passport affair. I was summoned as a witness and appeared before the Tribunal consisting of Justices Sharvananda, Weeraratne and L.H. de Alwis. I was subjected to searching cross-examination by prosecution counsel Mr. Bunty de Zoysa who had a reputation for aggressive cross-examination.

In the end, I could not be shaken, because I was telling the truth. There was however, a matter which deserves comment. I had taken an oath to “Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” I had no problem with telling the truth, nor did I have a problem with “Nothing but the truth,” because I did not lie. But I had a problem with the words “The whole truth.”

Telling the whole truth would have entailed my recitation of certain statements made by Mr. Tyrell Goonetillake in order to exert pressure on the Prime Minister for the purpose of obtaining her consent for the impounding of Mr. Jayewardene’s passport. If I had accurately recalled some of those words and phrases, his future career would have been in serious jeopardy. Holding back on some of those, made my position, under cross-examination that much more difficult.

I, whilst, trying to safeguard Tyrell’s career, had also to keep in mind that the position of the innocent party, Mrs. Bandaranaike was not affected. Proceeding in this manner, created one or two opportunities for Mr. de Zoysa’s sarcastic comments at my expense.

Mr. JR Jayewardene’s passport

Mr. JR Jayewardene was one of the most senior Members of Parliament, Leader of the United National Party and the Leader of the Opposition. During this time, due to the extremely adverse foreign exchange situation, very tight exchange control regulations were in place, and the government was almost obsessed with this question. Those leaving the country only received an allowance of £ 3.50, which was barely sufficient for a sandwich and a cup of tea. In order to go abroad, proof had to be shown to the Exchange Control authorities, that someone from abroad was sponsoring your journey and stay in that particular country.

There was a special Court sitting in order to try exchange control offences, and a section of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police was working full time, tracking down violations. Superintendent of Police Tyrell Goonetilleke, an able and experienced investigator was in charge of this section. When on an investigation, Tyrell was a single minded and relentless pursuer of anybody and anything. He was a trained “bloodhound.”

One morning at about 9 a.m. I dropped in at Temple Trees, on my way to the Republic Square Office. I had with me two urgent and important letters, which I had drafted the previous evening and taken home, with the idea of obtaining the Prime Minister’s signature the first thing next morning. This was the reason for my unscheduled visit to Temple Trees.

When I got down from the car under the main portico, I saw the Prime Minister seated at the dining table from where she often worked. Seated besides her was Tyrell Goonetilleke. She, seeing me walking into the verandah asked me to come in. I said. I would wait until she finished, but she wanted me to come and join the discussion.

To my astonishment, Tyrell was saying that the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. JR Jayewardene was due to arrive at Katunayake shortly, from Bangkok, after a visit to Australia: that he suspected that he had committed exchange control offences; that he had already stationed senior CID officers at the airport; and that he urgently required the Prime Minister’s approval to take over his passport at the airport, the moment lie landed.

It was clear that the Prime Minister was also taken aback by this request. She was not inclined to grant permission. Tyrell kept on insisting. He was now the “bloodhound” on the trail oblivious to all other considerations. The Prime Minister suggested that if he wanted to see Mr. Jayewardene’s passport, he could go to his Ward Place residence, once he reached home and ask for it.

But Tyrell was now in a near trance. He said that unless the passport was taken into custody the moment Mr. Jayewardene landed, he might if given time suspect something and destroy the passport. I was now in an invidious position. I was there by pure accident. Tyrell had sought this confidential appointment with the Prime Minister. But I could see that she needed support in her reluctance to agree to the course of action suggested.

A couple of times, whilst this conversation was going on. I looked hard at the Prime Minister and signaled with my eyes that she should not agree. Tyrell kept on pressing. He was saying that the plane was due in half an hour and that he had to alert his people at the airport within the next 15 minutes. The Prime Minister then thought of discussing this matter with her Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Mr. WT Jayasinghe. She wanted a call put through to him. But his number was engaged, and the switchboard could not get through.

She then asked me to immediately go to the Ministry, which was just a five-minute drive away, speak to WT and get him to call her over the telephone. I kept my two letters with her and went to the Ministry. WT was at a meeting of the Security Council, presided over that day by Mr. Lakshman Jayakody, the Deputy Minister. I hastily scribbled a note and sent it in requesting him to come out immediately. When he did so, we went to an unoccupied room and I briefed him.

He, like me, thought the whole project reckless and not supportable. He thought the Prime Minister was quite right in refusing to accede to this request. In the meantime, he rang up the Immigration Counter at the Airport and inquired as to when the flight would be landing. The Immigration Officer replied that the flight was already landing. It had arrived about ten minutes ahead of schedule. This solved the problem. There was now, no time to get back to the Prime Minister, in order for her to take a decision. We just kept her informed of the situation. One could feel the considerable relief, which this latest turn of events gave her.

It later transpired that the UNP had suspected that there could be some incident when Mr. Jayewardene arrived and the airport had been thronged with party supporters. If there had been any attempt to seize his passport, an ugly situation would undoubtedly have developed. Later, when Mr. Jayewardene had got to know details of what might have happened, he was furious. and in this mood he had telephoned the quite innocent WT and given him a telling off.

Since it was WT’s nature that in such circumstances, he maintained a resigned and stoic silence, Mr. Jayewardene might well have believed that he was an active participant in this whole episode. Therefore, when the government changed and Mr. Jayewardene became Prime Minister, WT had cleared his table and was waiting to be sent home on retirement.

But Mr. Menikdiwela, Mr. Jayewardene’s Secretary had briefed him on what an honourable person WT was, and as a result much to his surprise, the new Prime Minister offered him a choice of being Secretary either in Defence or Foreign Affairs, because for the first time since independence, the new government was going to separate the two functions in separate Ministries. WT chose Foreign Affairs.

This was not the end of the matter. The new government appointed a special Judicial Tribunal and leveled several charges against Mrs. Bandaranaike. One such charge was her alleged complicity in the passport affair. I was summoned as a witness and appeared before the Tribunal consisting of Justices Sharvananda, Weeraratne and L.H. de Alwis. I was subjected to searching cross-examination by prosecution counsel Mr. Bunty de Zoysa who had a reputation for aggressive cross-examination.

In the end, I could not be shaken, because I was telling the truth. There was however, a matter which deserves comment. I had taken an oath to “Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” I had no problem with telling the truth, nor did I have a problem with “Nothing but the truth,” because I did not lie. But I had a problem with the words “The whole truth.”

Telling the whole truth would have entailed my recitation of certain statements made by Mr. Tyrell Goonetillake in order to exert pressure on the Prime Minister for the purpose of obtaining her consent for the impounding of Mr. Jayewardene’s passport. If I had accurately recalled some of those words and phrases, his future career would have been in serious jeopardy. Holding back on some of those, made my position, under cross-examination that much more difficult.

I, whilst, trying to safeguard Tyrell’s career, had also to keep in mind that the position of the innocent party, Mrs. Bandaranaike was not affected. Proceeding in this manner, created one or two opportunities for Mr. de Zoysa’s sarcastic comments at my expense.