Details Of Alleged Plot Revealed

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29748, 15 February 1962, Page 9

Details Of Alleged Plot Revealed

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright)

COLOMBO, February 14.

Officers plotting to overthrow the Ceylon Government last month planned to arrest two key Ministers and then force the GovernorGeneral (Sir Oliver Goonetilleke) to take over the Government, it was stated in Parliament yesterday.

A statement on the abortive coup was made in the House of Representatives by the Minister of Finance (Mr Felix Dias Bandaranaike). He urged severe punishment of those found guilty in connexion with the coup and called for complete and radical reforms in the armed services, the police and the public service. Latest official statements say 29 persons have been arrested. Colonel's Arrest Mr Bandaranaike told the House that details had been revealed after the arrest of Colonel F C de Saram, one of two men who, he said were to be in charge of Army arrangements for the coup. The Minister of Finance said the Governor-General had been told that his name had been mentioned during the investigations “and he has volunteered to submit himself to interrogation and investigation like any other citizen, and inquiries are now proceeding accordingly"

Mr Bandaranaike said it was alleged that a former Prime Minister. Sir John Kotelawela and another Opposition leader, Mr Dudley Senanayake. knew of the plan to overthrow the Government on January 27.

The Minister said that Colonel de Saram had decided to take the blame for the whole affair and claimed that everyone else who had played any part had done so on his orders. Colonel de Saram had said the plan—apart from the arrest of Leftist leaders —was only to arrest Mr Bandaranaike and the Permanent Secretary for External Affairs (Mr N Q Dias) in the belief that they were the ohly people who could have given lawful orders to service commanders to frustrate the coup. Once these two had been imprisoned. Colonel de Saram intended to coerce the Governor-General to take over the Government. No Clear Plan Colonel de Saram stressed that the Governor-General had nothing to do with the coup, and he admitted that he had no clear plan for what he would do if the Governor-Genera) did not act as he had hoped. Mr Bandaranaike said that the opportunity to effect complete and radical reforms in the police, armed services, and the public service must not be lost. It was also essential that deterrent punishment of a severe character must be imposed on all those “who are guilty of this attempt to inflict violence and bloodshed on innocent people throughout the country for the pursuit of reactionary aims and objectives,” Mr Bandaranaike said.