Sri Lanka's ex-army chief in court on new charge
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COLOMBO , MAY 12 -
Sri Lanka's ex-army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka was for the first time hauled before a civilian court Wednesday and accused of inciting violence.
Fonseka, who is in military custody and faces separate court martial charges of dabbling in politics while in uniform and corrupt procurements, was brought before a magistrate over his reported comments against the president's brother.
Police investigators told the court that Fonseka had alleged in a newspaper interview that the president's younger brother and defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, had ordered the killing of surrendering Tamil rebels last year.
Fonseka was taken before Colombo chief magistrate Champa Rajaratne as a suspect who had "incited unrest" in the country through the interview last year. He says the newspaper misquoted him.
It was Fonseka's first appearance before a civilian court. However, he has filed several petitions in higher courts challenging his arrest in February, 12 days after he failed to unseat President Mahinda Rajapakse in elections.
Fonseka led the military onslaught which resulted in the annihilation of the separatist Tamil Tiger leadership in May last year and effectively ended 37 years of ethnic conflict which had claimed up to 100,000 lives.
Fonseka fell out with the president and his brother over who should take the most credit for the victory.
He quit the army and unsuccessfully ran for president in January, but did succeed with a bid for a parliamentary seat in April elections.
Fonseka's lawyers said the latest allegation against the former army commander was politically motivated.
"It is ironic that the man who was hailed a national hero for crushing Tamil Tigers is being brought before court exactly a year later," Fonseka's lawyer Nalin Laduwahetty said. "This is a frivolous case."
The judge adjourned the hearing until May 26.
Prosecutors told the court that Fonseka will be formally indicted in the High Court under tough emergency regulations which were first introduced in 1983 to deal with Tamil rebels.
Posted on: 2010-05-12 05:09
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