Colombo: After serving the Sri Lankan
Army for nearly four decades, including presiding over the
last phase of the civil war that saw the elimination of LTTE,
Gen Sarath Fonseka is likely to appear on Tuesday before a court
martial panel that will try him on treason charges.
After a week of flip-flops, the Fonseka camp on Monday
indicated that the former Army Chief, who is currently under
Army custody, may appear before the three-member panel on Tuesday.
"Sarath Fonseka is likely to attend the court martial
proceedings tomorrow though his team of lawyers are yet to
take a final decision on the matter," General Secretary of
Fonseka-led Democratic National Alliance Vijitha Herath told
PTI on Monday.
DNA spokesman Anura Kumara Dissanayake had yesterday
termed the scheduled proceedings as "illegal court martial".
Fonseka had last week said that he was inclined in
appearing before the panle as it consisted his juniors.
A team of Fonseka`s lawyers will also attend the Court
Martial proceedings scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday.
Fonseka, 59, was arrested by the army last month after
he lost the January 26 Presidential election to incumbent
Mahinda Rajapaksa by a huge margin. He was accused of planning
a coup against the government while in service.
The court-martial proceedings will be based on seven
charges, including engaging in politics while in uniform.
Other charges against Fonseka include procuring arms
violating regulations during the civil war that ended in May
last year.
Legal assistance for Fonseka is being rendered by
former chief justice of Supreme Court Sarath N Silva though he
may not be a part of his legal team, Herath said.
The legal team is also expected to raise the question
of the legality of the tribunal comprising officers junior in
rank to Fonseka, sources said.
Fonseka joined the Sri Lanka Army in 1970 and rose
through the ranks to become the Army Chief in 2005 immediately
after Rajapaksa became the President.
He led the Eelam War-IV, the last phase of the
30-year-old civil war, that culminated in the death of LTTE
chief Velupillai Prabhakaran in May, 2009.
He was then made the Chief of Defence Staff, a
ceremonial post, which he quit in November last year to take a
plunge in politics.
PTI
