Financial Times

Harry J’s growing empire
I have no doubt that all admirers of Harry J’s business acumen and ability to transform whatever business he has acquired into an efficient service as well as a profit making concern, would endorse your candid comments in the last paragraph of your publication recently.

I personally endorse your comments regarding the “Honorary Doctor” as well, in one but the last paragraph, having experienced his “style” after the DFCC AGM three years ago when the ESOP was taken up and known only to the then Chairman Wijenayake and the late Director Mack who took him by each arm and led him away. The “smash you up” threat in their presence was reported in the Business Standard of January 3, 2003 under the caption ‘Dr Noel’s Minority Report – a review by Adam’.

Those who attended the DFCC AGM this year were witness to the fact that I had to walk back to the mike twice more to correct the “malicious contortions” of what I said at this meeting with reference to Section 48.3 Notes to the Financial Statements. Having stood up, the Hon Doctor announced he was Chairman for the first time and would conduct the meeting according to his five principles which he enumerated. I finally told shareholders present that they could be the judges of what I said in lucid English as they were conversant with the language.

There is no pity that his first is also his last. The only paper I subscribe to is the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Times for impartial and unprejudiced reporting and comment.Well done and thank you. Dr N I Wickramanayake, (Consultant, Association of Stock Market Investors)

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