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WAS THE THIRD PRIME MINISTER OF CEYLON THE SON OF A MURDERER ? THE TRIAL OF JOHN KOTELAWALA (SENIOR) – By HUGH KARUNANAYAKE John Kotelawala (Senior) was the father of Sir John Kotelawala the third Prime Minister of independent Ceylon, who held office from 1953 to 1956. John Kotelawala (Snr) was born in 1865 in the village of Bandaragama. Having attended the village school where he learnt his English, he attended schools in Colombo and  then started life as a third class constable clerk in the Ceylon Police Force in the 1880s. As a policeman he was good in detective work and his general application to his duties impressive, and was within a few years promoted to the rank of Inspector. It was then that he sought the hand of, and married Alice Attygalle, the daughter of Mudaliyar D.C.G. Attygalle of Colamunne. He resigned from the police soon after his ...