Features

Was the Third Prime Minister of Ceylon the son of a murderer ?

Published

3 years ago

2022/12/18

Thilina Walpola

THE TRIAL OF JOHN KOTELAWALA (SENIOR)

By Hugh Karunanayake

John Kotelawala (Senior) was the father of Sir John Kotelawala the third Prime Minister of independent Ceylon, who held office from 1953 to 1956. John Kotelawala (Snr) was born in 1865 in the village of Bandaragama. Having attended the village school where he learnt his English, he attended schools in Colombo and then started life as a third class constable clerk in the Ceylon Police Force in the 1880s.

As a policeman he was good in detective work and his general application to his duties impressive, and was within a few years promoted to the rank of Inspector. It was then that he sought the hand of, and married Alice Attygalle, the daughter of Mudaliyar D.C.G. Attygalle of Colamunne. He resigned from the police soon after his marriage.

Mudaliyar Attygalle was a man of considerable wealth, owning several coconut estates, plumbago mines, and other properties in the Kurunegala and Dodangaslanda areas. He was also a great benefactor to a number of charities. Among his many acts of philanthropy was the donation for public use, of the Kurunegala Rest House which he built entirely at his own expense. The building stands in the main street of Kurunegala to this day.

Mudaliyar Attygalles family consisted of his wife, son, and three daughters. The son, who was born in 1885, was a minor when the Mudaliyar died in 1901. John Kotelawala, the Mudaliyar’s only son in law at the time of his death, took over the management of the Mudaliyar’s estate which was left to his widow by his will.

By 1904, Francis, the Mudaliyar’s son realizing that his brother-in-law was utilizing profits from the estate for his own benefit, applied for letters of “venia aetatis” by which the Governor of Ceylon had the power to make a major of a https://d.docs.live.net/765edf3312b1769f/Documents/THE%20TRIAL%20OF%20JOHN%20KOTELAWALA.docxminor in the eyes of the law. The letters were accordingly granted to Francis by the Governor, and he took over the management of the family properties.

Kotelawala not only resisted this, but also openly showed his defiance and there was considerable friction between him and his brother-in-law. He tried various ruses to gain possession of some of the properties, but failed in all his attempts. He was particularly interested in a property which he made out to the family as a piece of abandoned plumbago land, whereas it was in fact a lucrative mine later known as the Kahatagaha mine. This turned out to be one of the largest and most lucrative plumbago mines in Sri Lanka.

He tried every trick in the book to gain possession of the mine, including fraud, deceit, and threats to the family, but failed; the main obstacle being his brother in law Francis. He is said to have even threatened to commit suicide in front of his mother in law by pretending to cut his throat with a knife that he produced, to which his mother in law gently informed him that she had not the slightest objection to that, and called off his bluff. Kotelawala was a physical culturist and a pupil of the Hungarian, Eugene Sandow, and projected an image of a tough and bold person who would not tolerate opposition.

The friction between him and his in laws included an incident where he attempted to take forcible possession of a family owned mine, but was chased away by workers loyal to Francis. He had to run away and humiliatingly take refuge in a boutique in which he locked himself up in fear. That incident would have hurt his projected tough image more than the actual thrashing he may have received if he fell into the hands of the angry workers. Being a man of considerable vanity, he had been sulking and threatening dire consequences. In October 1906 John Kotelawala (snr) sailed for Japan in order to float a company called the Ceylon Trading Co, most probably to provide him with an alibi as unfolding events would reveal.

THE DECEASED – FRANCIS DIXON ATTYGALLE

Francis Attygalle was said to be a most unassuming man with an engaging disposition, and very popular with his employees. He had two sisters other than his older sister Alice Kotelawala. They were Lena and Ellen. Lena was given in marriage to Colonel TG Jayewardene brother of EW Jayewardene, father of former President J.R.Jayewardene. The younger sister Ellen later married F.R. Senanayake brother of DS Senanayake, Ceylon’s First Prime Minister. There is no denying the fact that the family of the three sisters dominated politics and governments in Sri Lanka during most of the Twentieth Century.

The Attygalle sisters by their marriage to the Kotelaweala- Senanayake- Jayewardene triumvirate is said to have shoe horned these “political nobodies” into “somebodies’, the upward mobility being provided by the Attygalle family wealth. The Attygalle inheritance was massive, and the three daughters brought with them substantial dowries in addition to their inheritance. By 1927 T.G. Jayewardene owned 2,861 acres of tea, rubber, and coconut, Alice Kotelawala 2,058 acres of rubber and coconut and Ellen Senanayake 3,027 acres mainly of coconut.

Francis Attygalle attended school at Wesley College and was boarded in the home of Mr CP Dias Head Master of the school who lived in the Pettah near Price Park, which was then a quiet, residential area. Even after leaving school Francis continued to live in Mr Dias’s house making it his Colombo headquarters. On the evening of December 5, 1906 he was reclining on a chair in the verandah of Mr Dias’s home, when he was called out by a boy who wanted him to meet a man named Baron Singho who was ostensibly seeking assistance to get a job. Having dismissed the man, Francis was returning to the house when he was shot by a gun fired from a few yards away. The 22-year old Francis died two days later in hospital after making a dying disposition.

John Kotelawela returned to Ceylon by ship on the morning of January 24, 1907 and was promptly arrested by a police party headed by Mr Herbert Dowbiggin, Superintendent of Police, Colombo, who was in charge of investigations into the murder. Three persons were charged with the murder. They were Baron Singho, Singhone Perera, and John Kotelawala.

It was the case for the prosecution that as a result of family disputes, John Kotelawala had decided to destroy his brother in law Francis Attygalle. He conspired with Singhone Perera, a former police constable who served under him, to kill Atyygalle. Singhone had left the Police force at the same time as Kotelawala, and was employed as a rent collector by the latter, who also provided him accommodation in one of his houses.

According to the prosecution, Singhone who was a trusted servant of Kotelawala, was paid Rs 500 through a bogus mortgage payment as a consideration for the killing, and having arranged the killing, Kotelawala left for Japan in October 1906 to create an alibi for himself. Singhone then contacted Piloris Fernando alias Pila a 23-year old native of Wadduwa, and brought him to Colombo where he resided in Singhone’s home for some weeks prior to the murder. On November 16, Singhone arranged with Pila who was a good marksman, to purchase a gun from Walker and Sons, Pettah, under an assumed name. The gun was purchased by Pila and brought to Singhone’s house where it was concealed in a wooden box.

On the night of December 5, they went across Price Park and approached Mr Dias ‘ garden. According to Pila, who turned Crown witness in the case, Singhone asked him to wait near the gate while he went into the compound with the gun. Singhone then had Baron lure Francis out of the house and shot him. He is then said to have left the gun and the bag and hurried back to the gate where he met Pila, gave him fie rupees and asked him to go back to his village.

The prosecution was based largely on Pila’s evidence as Crown Witness, and it could be presumed that his version of what transpired was tailored to protect his role in the killing. What was more likely the case was that Pila who was an expert marksman did the shooting, and was directed by Singhone to arrive at a rendezvous near the gate where he would wait to execute Pila. Unfortunately for Sighone, Pila sensing danger had not returned to him, instead walking back through a devious route to his village in Wadduwa, without meeting Singhone. The prosecution case however had to depend partly on Pila’s evidence, and it alleged that Singhone conspired with Kotelawala to murder Francis and in accordance with Pila’s evidence, Singhone did the shooting as well.

THE TRIAL

The trial in the Supreme Court commenced on April 15, 1907 before an English speaking jury consisting entirely of Europeans. The prosecution was led by Mr C.M. Fernando Senior Crown Counsel, assisted by Messrs H.J.C.Pereira, R.H.Morgan, James Van Langenberg, C Brooke Elliott and B.W. Bawa. The accused were defended by Mr C Hayley, Eardley Norton, Thomas Thornhill, and R.L. Pereira.

A significant factor was that the defence expenses of Sighone Perera was met by John Kotelawala, a fact that was readily admitted by defence counsel. While conceding that there was no implication of guilt in such conduct, the prosecution averred that the defence of Singhone Perera had been arranged by Kotelawala even before he arrived in Ceylon from his visit to Japan, a fact which the prosecution believed pointed strongly in favour of its case.

From the evidence that was led at the trial, it was clear, regardless of who did the actual shooting, that Singhone conspired with Pila to murder Francis.

Singhone however was loyal to his erstwhile master, and did not reveal anything to implicate John Kotelawala, although circumstantial evidence suggested a link between the two, working towards the common objective of destroying Attygalle. It was established by the prosecution that Kotelawala made threats to the deceased, and had a strong motive to eliminate him. It was not possible for the case for the Crown to be tested by the jury, because Kotelawala committed suicide in the remand prison having consumed arsenic, after Pila’s evidence was led. He had apparently concealed the arsenic in the sleeve of his coat for over two months in readiness for use when necessary.

At the conclusion of the trial, Singhone Perera was convicted, and paid the supreme penalty. Baron Singho was acquitted.

THE AFTERMATH

John Kotelawala was popular with the carters and harbour workers of Colombo whose welfare he had espoused with passion. Rumours that he was poisoned by the authorities spread around the city and large crowds gathered around his home “Fellowsleigh” in Asoka Gardens, and turned violent destroying public property. The home of the Crown prosecutor CM Fernando. ” Netherton ‘ in Union Place was under police protection for several weeks, until calm was restored.

John Kotelawala left two sons, John Lionel (later Sir John), and Justin, and a daughter Freda who later married Dr CVS Corea. Corea’s son, the late Dr Gamani Corea was an internationally renowned economist.The trial of the accused received considerable publicity by which newspapers reported proceedings in detail, on a daily basis. In later years however, the national press in Sri Lanka appears to have thrown a blanket of silence over the case, presumably under the influence of interested persons whose political destinies may have been affected by the publicity.

Consequently, not many in Sri Lanka especially during the second half of the twentieth century, were familiar with the case which was widely regarded as one of the most sensational murder trials in the country. The conspiracy of silence was so effective that even members of the legal fraternity, when referring to this case called it the “K” case, rather than the “Kotelawala ” case.

It has also been rumoured that most of the copies of the book by A.L. de Witt and G.E.G. Weerasinghe entitled “The Attygalle Murder Case” (from which most of the material in this article was extracted) were destroyed by interested persons, and very few copies exist.

(This article was first published by the writer in The Ceylankan Journal of The Ceylon Society of Australia # 27 of August 2004.)

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Features

Proactive peacemaking becomes a paramount need

Published

17 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Wasting wars: Some war-displaced people in Lebanon. BBC

It may be some time before the full impact of food inflation is felt in the West. Until such time the world would continue to keep itself in suspense over whether the Trump administration is in earnest when it seeks to convey the impression that it is backing a negotiated solution in West Asia.

As is usually the case, consumer stress would be one of the final determinants of political change. To the degree to which the average US consumer somehow ‘muddles through’ and puts the food on the table, to the same extent would the Republican sections of the US public in particular be tolerant of the Trump administration’s inconsistent handling of the West Asian war and the main issues stemming from it. That is, there would be no grave popular disaffection and a demand for political change in the short term.

However, the indications are that the Trump administration’s support base is suffering some erosion in the wake of the current economic crisis. While reports indicate that Democratic sections are firming-up their opposition to the political centre, Republican support for Trump is also showing signs of waning, we are given to understand.

The above developments are probably why Trump is on record as having given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a ‘dressing down’ recently on his seeming intransigence on the question of giving negotiations a chance in West Asia. The show of displeasure could be really aimed by Trump at containing the impatience of the American public.

However, the current ground situation in the Middle East, particularly the uncontained bloodshed, is likely to impress on the thinking sections of the world that more than temporary political change is needed in West Asia and the US.

A well thought out political solution that addresses all the contentious issues at the heart of the Middle East conflict is what enlightened opinion would demand, and very rightly. Right now, the ‘peace efforts’ initiated by the Trump administration give the impression of being piecemeal solutions at best.

There have been, of course, numerous initiatives in the past aimed at bringing permanent peace to the Middle East. These failed mainly because they did not address in full the root causes of the conflict.

At bottom the Middle East conflict is mainly about race and religious hate bred by socio-economic and material inequalities. For instance, if the Palestinian people were not displaced and deprived of land occupied by them at the time of the founding of the Israeli state, ethnic enmities would not have grown to the current unmanageable proportions.

When addressing the above questions, though, it must be remembered that the Israelis too were a displaced people who were entitled to land and a state of their own in the Middle East. Basically, out of these seemingly irreconcilable and conflicting demands have grown the Middle East imbroglio.

Middle East peace is considerably about reconciling these demands and arriving at a solution that would ensure the creation of two states that would opt for peaceful co-existence thereafter.

As long as the US does not see the need for a non-partisan solution that addresses the needs of both ethnicities and religions and goes all-out, as it were, to have it implemented, the Middle East would continue to bleed.

However, staunching the blood flow through the creation of two states would be only half the job done, though a very important part of it. More pernicious, pervasive and difficult to remedy are the inter-ethnic and inter-religious hatreds that have been unleashed over the decades.

However, if substantial, long-lasting peace is to be fostered in the region the latter ‘demons’ would need to be exorcised from the hearts and minds of the communities concerned. No doubt an uphill task but one that must be undertaken by those who wish the region well.

The UN would need to put its ‘best foot forward’ in such undertakings but it is time that it dawned on the international community and other caring quarters that Middle East peace, and all other such uphill challenges, require proactive peacemaking on the part of all civilized sections for their effective management. That is, public involvement in peacemaking too is a must.

Since hatreds are harboured in the human consciousness the enmities embedded in the latter need to be managed and defused judiciously alongside other undertakings in a peace process. In the case of West Asia, such enmities could be even spread globe-wide besides being multi-dimensional. For instance, it ought to be thought-provoking that Iran is insistent on a peace initiative that would also include Lebanon.

Besides security considerations it is also ethnic and religious affiliations that account for Iran making this demand. For instance, the Shias are a numerically important religious community in Lebanon and they provide a significant number of Hizbollah fighters, who are in a vital sense carrying out a ‘proxy war’ for Iran. It also needs to be factored in that Iran is a Shia-majority country.

Thus trans-border religious affiliations could add to the complexities and enormity of ethno-religious conflicts. However, the task of managing centuries-long enmities needs to be launched and prodded on with by peacemakers since a downing of arms alone would not guarantee substantive peace.

It is not realized sufficiently that the process of ending hatreds begins with mutual apologies by antagonists to a conflict for the harm inflicted on each other. This would be anathema in some ears but there is no getting away from the requirement. It is the vital first step to permanent peace anywhere.

In fact there could be no reconciliation worth speaking of without such mutual apologies. It is a point worth re-iterating in these times when even the government of Sri Lanka is voicing the need for national reconciliation. Well, without the words, ‘I am sorry’, there could be no permanent end to enmities – they would do well to remember.

The above requirements may not go down very well with governments, but they resonate in the hearts and minds of most people, since they are inheritors of religious traditions of some kind.

This is a principal reason why peacemaking works well when publics too are involved in them. The effectiveness of such campaigns increases several fold when they have a Mahatma Gandhi or a Jawaharlal Nehru at their helm. A strong proactive involvement by the public in peace could lead to the emergence of such leaders at some point in these campaigns.

Features

Dialog Brings Sri Lanka’s Largest Digital Vesak Experience to Matara

Published

17 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

From left to right: Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, and Lasantha Theverapperuma experience the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered VR tours.

Official Digital Partner of the 2026 ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s #1 connectivity provider, collaborated with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to bring one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most technologically advanced Vesak experiences to the ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone. The three-day celebration, in Matara attracted more than hundred thousand visitors, who engaged with a series of innovative digital activities powered by Dialog 5G Ultra, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, digital pandols and a Data Dansala. The opening ceremony was attended by Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, along with distinguished guests and Dialog’s senior management.

One of the key attractions at the venue was the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered Virtual Reality (VR) experience, which attracted more than 35,000 participants. The activation enabled devotees to virtually visit and pay homage to sacred Buddhist sites, including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in India and the Atamasthana in Anuradhapura, directly from the Vesak zone in Matara.

Visitors receive complimentary mobile data through Dialog’s QR-powered Data Dansala.

Dialog also conducted an AI Digital Vesak Greeting Card Competition from 21 May to 01 June 2026, attracting numerous entries from across the country. The shortlisted designs were showcased across 20 large LED screens throughout the venue and across Matara City, and were also made available for download via mobile devices. Further, through the use of AI, traditional Jathaka Katha were reimagined in a digital format, demonstrating how technology can be used to preserve and enhance cultural and religious heritage. Together, these initiatives blended traditional Vesak celebrations with emerging technologies, offering visitors a unique and immersive way to engage with Vesak traditions.

Extending the spirit of Vesak through connectivity, Dialog conducted a special Data Dansala powered by its QR Reload platform, enabling visitors to receive complimentary mobile data by scanning QR codes placed across the venue. In addition to the Matara National Vesak Zone, similar Data Dansala activations were also conducted at the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones in Colombo.Visitors also had the opportunity to create personalised Vesak-themed digital photos through an AI Photo Booth, generating AI-enhanced portraits using their own photographs and adding a contemporary digital element to the Vesak celebrations.

Visitors watch AI-generated Jathaka Katha

Commenting on the initiative, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, said, “The 2026 Dakshina Prabha Vesak Festival marked the first time AI-powered digital innovations were incorporated into a National Vesak Festival in Sri Lanka. Presenting Buddhist stories and teachings through technology created a new and engaging way for visitors to connect with these traditions. We thank Dialog for supporting this initiative and for working closely with us to bring our vision to life. Their contribution played an important role in making this first-of-its-kind event a reality.”

Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “We thank the Government of Sri Lanka for the opportunity to support the 2026 Dakshina Prabha National Vesak Festival and for embracing technology as part of this year’s celebrations. As the Official Digital Partner, we were privileged to contribute through our Dialog 5G Ultra and AI capabilities, creating new ways for visitors to engage with Vesak traditions while preserving their cultural significance for future generations.”

Beyond supporting the National Vesak Zone in Matara, Dialog also enhanced the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones through a range of digital activations during the Vesak season. The company additionally continued its sustainability initiatives, including the Thirasara Aloka Poojawa, which illuminated rural places of worship through solar-powered lighting solutions.

Features

Beauty, elegance and talent…for women

Published

17 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Universal Woman is an international pageant focused on “beauty, elegance, and talent” for women, positioning itself as a platform to shape global ambassadors. The 2026 edition will be held in Cambodia, and Sri Lanka will be there, as well.

According to reports coming my way, contestants, at the international event, will work with industry trailblazers, under international standards.

Sri Lankan supermodel, runway and pageant trainer Chulpadmendra Kumarapathirana, is the National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026.

With over two decades in the industry, Chula was crowned Miss Sri Lanka 2006, and has since shaped the next generation of titleholders through her Colombo-based Chulpadmendra Catwalk Studio, widely regarded as one of the country’s leading modelling academies.

The team behind Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026

A former host of Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World 2008 and a judge for Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2025, Chula now serves as National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026, leading the franchise’s search for Sri Lanka’s delegate to the international final in Cambodia.

Applications for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 are being taken, via WhatsApp: 077 659 4994, says Chula.

The judging panel for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 includes Senaka De Silva, Pageant Aesthetic Advisor & Chairperson of the Judging Panel, Angela Seneviratne, Caroline Jurie, Rozelle Plunkett, and Suraj Mapa.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 officially began its journey with a first round of auditions, held in Colombo, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in Sri Lanka’s pageant industry.

Launching the first round of auditions

The platform aims to empower women while selecting an intelligent, confident, and inspiring representative to compete at the Universal Woman International Pageant 2026 in Cambodia, this September.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka now moves forward with the vision of creating one of the country’s most prestigious and empowering pageants while preparing to crown a queen who will proudly represent Sri Lanka on the international stage.