Lalith Kotelawala was held hostage: Family tells court

• Kotelawala was manipulated into writing valuable properties

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda   

Businessman and former Ceylinco Consolidated Chairman  Lalith Kotelawala was held hostage by a group of people by restricting  his free movement, the family told court yesterday.  

Shireene Wijerathne, the sister-in-law of late Kotelawala  told the Chief Colombo Magistrate’s Court that a group of people  including lawyers had surrounded Kotelawala and put him into a fear  psychosis.   

The witness made this revelation when the inquest into the  death of Lalith Kotelawala was taken up before Colombo Additional  Magistrate Pasan Amarasena.  

“They manipulated him into writing valuable properties  including properties which he inherited in their own names,” she said.  She said the businessman was held in a dark tinted room with the only  movement allowed being ten feet from his bedroom to the boardroom in his  office.  

“They convinced him to move out from his residence and  moved him to his office where he was kept in a tinted room,” she added.  She said the lawyers had just completed their apprenticeship and came  on the pretext to get certified copies of court proceedings.   

“Thereafter, they got him to write valuable properties in their own names,” she further said.   

Counsel Hafeel Farisz with Shannon Thilekarathne appeared  for the family. President’s Counsel Anuja Premarathne appeared for a  group of lawyers who were named by a previous witness.