John Kotelawala Sr

Born in Piliyandala to Don A Kotelawala, he was educated at the Royal College, S. Thomas' College and Wesley College.

John joined the Ceylon Constabulary as a Constable Clerk. He was later promoted to Inspector and developed a reputation for raiding illegal gambling dens and cutting down on police corruption.

He married Alice Attygalle the daughter of Mudaliyar Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle, a wealthy land and mine owner. They had three children, John, Justin and Freda. Freda married C.V.S. Corea, her son was Dr Gamani Corea.

John Kotelawala Snr Tomb at Borella Cemetery.

After the death of Mudaliyar Attygalle, Kotelawala left the police service and took over the management of the Mudaliyar Attygalle's estate. He was forced out of managing the family business after allegations of misappropriation and court cases filled by his mother-in-law in the Kurunegala District Court. Thereafter, he started his own business ventures, by first managing the stake in the Attygalle family business which he had gained as dowry in his marriage which included 2,058 acres (833 ha) of rubber and coconut estates, as well as one-fourth share of graphite mines owned by the Attygalle family. He expanded into the transportation at the time which was heavy depended on bullock carts for rural trade. He was soon elected the President of the Carters Association and became a popular figure. He expanded into trading and formed the Ceylon-Japan Trading Company. In late 1906, he set sail to Japan.

On his return from Japan, he was arrested for orchestrating the murder of Francis Dixon Attygalle, his brother in law. Francis Attygalle was actually shot by Piloris a Boer War veteran who had served under Winston Churchill. Piloris turned Crown Witness and Kotelawala, his former police sergeants, Singhoni Perera and Baron Perera, were accused of murder in the Colombo Assizes court and all were found guilty. Kotelawala committed suicide before he was executed. He was also the President of the Carters Association of Colombo, following his death, the carters stormed the houses of the prosecutors, Acting Attorney General Walter Pereira, KC and Crown Counsel C. M. Fernando.[2]

• List of political families in Sri Lanka

• The Kotelawala Ancestry