Mahinda to appoint Commission to probe Athukorale's death

UPFA Presidential Candidate Mahinda Rajapakse will appoint a Presidential Commission to probe the death of former UNP General Secretary Minister Gamini Athukorale, the Office of the Chief Campaign Coordinator said yesterday.

Coordinator Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Athukorale died under mysterious circumstances soon after participating in a Sirasa musical show at Parliament Grounds on December 31, 2001.

He had consumed several glasses of wine offered to him and he had complained of stomach pains on the way to his residence, the news release said, adding that he died the same day.

The release said that Athukorale's body was brought to Colombo without holding a post-mortem. Tapes of the Sirasa musical show had been allegedly destroyed in a fire at the studios.

The release pointed out that following the defeat of the UNP at 2000 General Election, many seniors in the Party had rejected Ranil Wickremesinghe's leadership and rallied round Athukorale. This had led to a rift between the two.

The financial allocations for the Commission were being made and the Commission would be appointed within one month of Rajapakse's victory, it said.