Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis, who considered a complaint made by the late businessman Lalith Kotelawela’s wife’s sister raising suspicions about the death of Kotalawela, ordered the body of the late businessman to be released to Sherine Wijayaratne Fernando to be buried at the Borella Cemetery.
In addition, the Magistrate also issued orders to the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer to conduct a post-mortem examination in the presence of three JMOs.
The Magistrate released the body to Sherine Wijayaratne Fernando after the Bambalapitiya Police informed the Court that Cecilia Kotelawela had refused to accept the body of her husband and had agreed to hand it over to her elder sister Sherine Wijayaratne Fernando.
Fernando making a statement to the police has said that there is suspicion regarding this death since he was living separately from his sister at the time of death.
She has further stated to the Police that she does not know anything about his health condition, the medicines he used, the doctors who prescribed the medicine and treated him and it is essential to know this information.
The post-mortem examination had been conducted in the presence of three JMOs at the Colombo JMO’s office on Sunday afternoon.
The JMOs have given an open verdict, deciding that the death was caused by pus in the left lung of the deceased and the enlargement of the heart.
Doctors have concluded that there are no external injuries on the deceased and that he had taken proper medication before his death.
Kotelawela passed away on October 21 at the age of 84, while receiving treatment at a private hospital.
(dailynews.lk)
