The death of former minister Nandana Gunathilaka has sparked controversy after his family changed funeral arrangements to allow for possible further investigations, amid claims raised by political figures questioning the circumstances of his death.
Gunathilaka’s sister, Mangala Karunarathna, said the family decided to proceed with burial instead of cremation following the emergence of what she described as disturbing information linked to a video issued in connection with a complaint made to an international body monitoring political and economic crimes.
Speaking at a special media briefing held Tuesday afternoon at the Wadduwa Youth Buddhist Association Hall, Karunarathna said the cremation, which had been scheduled for Wednesday at the Wadduwa Public Grounds, was cancelled. The burial will instead take place at the Maha Wadduwa Weragama public cemetery.
She said the executive director of an international monitoring organisation had stated that Gunathilaka had lodged a complaint with the body in October last year, claiming that his life was under threat.
“As his life could not be protected, we have decided not to cremate the body so that any future investigations can be carried out,” Karunarathna told reporters.
Adding to the controversy, former lawmaker Udaya Gammanpila has publicly questioned whether Gunathilaka’s death was due to natural causes or whether it involved foul play.
In a lengthy social media post dated Jan. 18, Gammanpila said he had maintained close contact with Gunathilaka in recent months and claimed the former minister had repeatedly expressed fears for his life. Gammanpila alleged that Gunathilaka believed he could be targeted because of his political positions and criticisms, and had spoken of possible threats including poisoning or being made to appear as a victim of a road accident.
Gammanpila also referred to social media posts by other political commentators who claimed they too had received information suggesting that Gunathilaka faced threats, saying these claims intensified his suspicions following the former minister’s death.
The allegations raised by Gammanpila and others have not been independently verified. Authorities have not made any public statement regarding the cause of death, and no official findings have been released.
Gunathilaka’s family said their decision to opt for burial was taken in the interest of transparency and to ensure that any future inquiries can be conducted without hindrance, should authorities deem it necessary. (Newswire)
The death of former minister Nandana Gunathilaka has sparked controversy after his family decided to change funeral arrangements from cremation to burial, citing the need to allow for possible future investigations pic.twitter.com/N1itvRyRyb
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