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As police probe is completed
Kotelawala says Corea well looked after
Former UNCTAD Secretary General Gamani Corea is "well looked after, perfectly happy and not a prisoner as claimed", a spokesman for Ceylinco Chairman Lalith Kotelawala assures in response to recent media reports that the internationally renowned economist is being held in wrongful confinement at his private residence in Colombo.

Dr. Corea

The reports indicated that the 77-year-old one-time Deputy Governor of the Central Bank and current chairman of the Geneva-based South Centre is prevented from meeting his friends and relatives unconditionally by Mr. Kotelawala who holds a general power-of-attorney on Dr. Corea's behalf.

The Ceylinco Chief's spokesman, K. Gunaratnam, said Dr. Corea and Mr. Kotelawala were first cousins and had "grown up like brothers". "Dr. Corea has been suffering ill-health in recent times and at the beginning of this year, called upon his cousin to help him. Deshamanya Kotelawala visited Dr. Corea and was shocked to find trespassers in the rear part of the house and that he was not properly being looked after, not being properly fed, not given his medicines.

Mr. Kotelawala

"In these circumstances, at Dr. Corea's request, Mr. Kotelawala employed competent staff to ensure that Dr. Corea would be properly fed, looked after and medicine given. In addition, he (Mr. Kotelawala) managed to get rid of all trespassers," Mr. Gunaratnam said.

He said that "the present objectors were not on the scene " at that early stage, a reference to a group of Dr. Corea's friends who have raised issue with President Chandrika Kumaratunga about the alleged involuntary confinement of Dr. Corea in his Horton Place residence.

"The trouble began in March this year," a month and a half after Mr. Kotelawala intervened to assist his cousin, "when certain economists and others wanted a transfer of Rs. 10 million from Dr. Corea's personal account to the Gamani Corea Foundation which they were administering. They brought a letter said to be signed by Dr. Corea to this effect. Mr. Kotelawala took the view that (based on medical advise), Dr. Corea was not fit enough to realise the consequences of signing such a letter -- if in fact he did sign it and that no funds whatever should be transferred from Dr. Corea's account to anyone."

Mr. Kotelawala took the view that under Dr. Corea's condition of health, no asset transfer should ever be made to any person whosoever or to any fund whatsoever, his spokesman said. Mr. Gunaratnam added that "Mr. Kotelawala believed and believes that the only money of Dr. Corea that should be utilised is for his personal upkeep. No transfer of assets of any kind whatever should take place at present. Mr. Kotelawala's view is based on medical opinion."

Mr. Kotelawala's spokesman also throws a challenge at whom he calls Dr. Corea's "so-called friends" to publicly state that no money of Dr. Corea will be transferred to either themselves or to any Foundation during the lifetime of Dr. Corea so that their bona fides could be established.

Meanwhile, a special police unit detailed by IGP T. E. Anandarajah to independently probe the circumstances in which the much respected senior citizen is presently living has recorded statements from the Marga Institute Chairman Emiritus Godfrey Gunatillake and from Dr. Corea himself.

Arrangements are also being made by the Foreign Office to ensure that Dr. Corea could leave for Geneva for a felicitation ceremony planned for him by the United Nations in the city where he served for many years.

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