Front Page

Front Page

Dr. Gamani Corea police probe
‘Friends debarred but no criminal element’
Police investigation into reports that well-known economists and one-time UNCTAD Secretary General Dr. Gamani Corea was being wrongfully confined to his house has revealed that there was no 'criminal element' involved, but that visits by his friends and relatives were being 'curtailed' by the security placed by Ceylinco Chief Lalith Kotelawala who holds a power-of-attorney on behalf of his cousin, Dr. Corea.

Police Chief T.E. Anandarajah told The Sunday Times that the investigation conducted had revealed that the visits by Dr. Corea's close friends and relatives had been curtailed by the security on the grounds that he was medically 'not fit' to meet visitors.

He said one of the ways which the visits had been curtailed was by placing a register where they had to enter their name and reason for the visit. Mr. Anandarajah said Police would, however, not take any action in this case as there was no 'criminal element' involved to take further action.

"Since it is a civil matter it would have to be taken up in courts, if at all, by his friends or relatives," he said. Close friends and relatives alleged that Dr. Corea was being prevented from meeting people by Mr. Kotelawala's security guards, but the Ceylinco chief's spokesman said that this was being done in Dr. Corea's own interest due to his failing health.

On the instructions of the IGP, the CID launched a probe during which the statements of Dr. Corea himself had been recorded. They also recorded the statement of Marga Institute's Chairman Emeritus Godfrey Gunatillake who had also taken this matter up with the President.

Last week five directors of the Gamani Corea Foundation, including Mr. Gunatillake, urged Mr. Kotelawala to release Dr. Corea's funds and his medical records enabling him to travel to Geneva to attend the felicitation ceremony.

They had earlier asked that Rs. 10 million that Dr. Corea himself wanted released from his own funds as start-up costs for the Gamani Corea Foundation which aims at promoting economic and social science research.

Meanwhile, arrangements are being made by the Foreign Ministry to enable Dr. Corea to visit Geneva later this month to attend a felicitation ceremony planned for him by the United Nations. Dr. Corea is currently the Chairman of the Geneva-based South Centre, which is planning the ceremony.

Back to Front Page