Lalith Kotelawala

Lalith Kotelawala
Born Jeewaka Lalith Bhupendra Kotelawala
29 October 1938
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Other names Lalith Kotelawala
Alma mater Royal College Colombo
Title Deshamanya
Deshabandu
Criminal charge Financial Fraud
Criminal status Remanded by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court ruling
Spouse(s) Sicille Kotelawala
Parent(s) Justin Kotalawela, Millicent Kotelawala
Relatives John Kotelawala
Sam Peter Christopher Fernando
Conviction(s) fraud

Deshmanya Deshabandu[1] Jeewaka Lalith Bhupendra Kotelawala is a Sri Lankan businessman, who was the chairman of Ceylinco Consolidated. He was listed in 2007 Sri Lanka Richest List.[2] He was remanded for the misappropriation of 26 billion rupees of investments from the failed Golden Key Credit Company.[3][4][5]

Early life and education

Born to Millicent Kotelawala and Senator Justin Kotalawela a Ceylonese politician and businessman, he was educated at Royal College, Colombo and studied chartered accountancy in the UK.[6] He is the nephew of Sir John Kotelawala, the third Prime Minister of Ceylon.[7]

Career

Taking over Ceylinco Consolidated from his father in the 1960s, Kotelawala expanded the group into new fields including banking, non-banking finance, investment banking, housing and property development, travel and leisure, communication & information technology, education and healthcare and, more recently, microfinance.[8] He also founded a peace initiative in Sri Lanka, three years after being wounded in an LTTE attack in 1996.[9]

Golden Key Scandal

Following the collapse of the Golden Key Creditcard Company, which was affiliated with Ceylinco Consolidated, Kotalawala who was the Chairman of the company was accused of misappropriation and Financial mismanagement. He was remanded on February 26, 2009 by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate and an ultimatum was issued to settle the Rs. 26 billion deposits of Golden Key Creditcard Company customers in 10 days. Weeks earlier the CEO Khavan Perera, the CFO, and several other directors were remanded by the same Magistrate. In March the Magistrate refused to consider the application for bail on the grounds that the matter was under consideration in an ongoing high court case. Kotelawala was moved to the prison hospital.[10]

In a hearing for bail at the Mount Lavinia Chief Magistrate's court on March 27, 2009 Kotelawala was accused by Deputy Solicitor General Sarath Jayamanna of running a Ponzi scheme. Lawyers representing the investors said that he was not, but, rather had misappropriated depositors’ monies, violating sections of the Companies Act, Act No. 7 of 2007. He stated a willingness to sell off assets worth Rs. 14.5 billion and settle the deposits.[11][12]

Awards and honors

Personal life

Lalith is married to Sicille Kotelawala (née Fernando) a daughter of Sam Peter Christopher Fernando[13]

References

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