Colombo: Sri Lanka's defeated presidential
candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka could face a military court on
charges of conspiring to overthrow the government and plotting to kill President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a report said on Sunday.
The Rajapaksa-led government, which alleged soon after
the presidential poll verdict that the former military chief
had plotted to kill the President, has consulted its top legal
counsel on trying Fonseka in a court martial.
"A military court is likely to try retired General Sarath
Fonseka on several charges of conspiracy," the Sunday Times
said quoting an 'authoritative legal source'.
"This new move, as against indicting him under the normal
laws of the land, came after the CID (Criminal Investigations
Department) consulted Attorney General Mohan Peiris," it said.
The charges would include an attempt to topple the
government and assassinate the president, as also those
related to the alleged defence deals involving his son-in-law.
CID detectives allege that Fonseka's actions on the main
subjects of their inquiry had their origins when he was
serving as Commander of the Army.
Besides allegations of conspiracy, "this included deals
where his son-in-law reportedly benefited by way of large
commissions for supplying military ware," it said.
Fonseka, 59, has already denied any wrongdoing and has
accused the government of acting to take "revenge" on him.
Fonseka, who was Rajapaksa's military chief during the
campaign against the LTTE fell out with the President after
the war and mounted an electoral campaign against him.
Fonseka, who was routed by Rajapaksa in a highly
polarised election on January 26, has said he would challenge
the poll result in the Supreme Court.
The report said CID detectives could also question
Fonseka's son-in-law Danuna Tillekeratne in the coming week.
Though it had earlier reported that Fonseka's arrest was
"immiment," the paper now said the "new turn of events,
arraigning him before a Military Court, has delayed the
process".
"However, he was still liable to arrest anytime after the
required legal procedures are in place," the newspaper said
quoting a source.
As in civil courts, all evidence will be admissible
before the military court. However, the conduct of proceedings
in a military court would not be open to the media, it said.
CID detectives have already taken into custody 36 persons
during the ongoing investigations, according to reports.
Authorities are also likely to question several media
persons, who were present at a Colombo hotel during Fonseka's stay there, over the alleged plot by him to stage a coup and assassinate the incumbent President.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 07, 2010, 17:32