Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities are likely to
Question several media persons, who were present at a Colombo
Hotel during defeated opposition presidential candidate Gen
Sartah Fonseka's stay there, over the alleged plot by him to
Stage a coup and assassinate incumbent Mahinada Rajapaksa.
"The purpose is to get information as to what (former
army chief) Sarath Fonseka's officials planned by detaining
them within the hotel rooms," the government's website quoted
defence sources as saying.
Authorities are already interrogating army "deserters"
over the alleged coup plot by Fonseka, who was trounced by
Rajapaksa in the January 26 Presidential poll.
Several media persons were present at the hotel, where
Fonseka had moved in a day after the polls.
"Comprehensive inquiries are already in progress on the
alleged plan mooted by the Sarath Fonseka group to assassinate
President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the announcement of the
Presidential election results (on January 27)," the website
said.
Fonseka and his supporters were staying in more than 70
rooms of the hotel from where army deserters carrying weapons
were arrested, it said, adding that those held were still
under interrogation.
According to investigators, the recovery of explosives
from some areas before the Presidential polls is linked to the
President's assassination plot, the government website said.
The areas included Gokarella and Deniyaya in southern Sri
Lanka and Maligawatee in Colombo suburbs. During interrogation, army deserters nabbed from
Gokarella said they had been stationed at the related centres
until they received further orders, the government website
claimed.
Meanwhile, a Buddhist monk arrested during the recovery
of bombs from the Bodhirajarama temple in Maligawatte has been
released as it was found he was not aware of the incident.
Inquiries are afoot on the allocation of a room in
Fonseka's office at Rajakeeya Mawatha area here to the senior
monk who was taken into custody, the website said. Some
suspicious vehicles that had left the temple at Maligawatte
had returned to this office, it said.
It is being probed to determine whether these weapons are
linked to the conspiracy hatched on January 27, the website
said.
Meanwhile, the opposition UNP has accused the government
of victimising supports of Fonseka.
"Following the controversial election victory of the
President, the government has been on a witch hunt against the
opposition party supporters and of Gen Fonseka, the closest
rival of the President at the elections," it said in a posting
on its website.
After the recent raid of Fonseka's office by the CID when
some of the General's employees were taken into custody and
equipment seized, two employees had sought anticipatory bail
fearing arrest, it said.
A court has asked the CID to appear before it on
February 12 in connection with the matter, it said.Following the defeat of Fonseka in Presidential polls.
the government had been making allegations that the former
army chief and his supporters could have been plotting a coup.
Troops had surrounded the hotel where Fonseka was staying
during the vote counting, in what the military said was a
dragnet to arrest army deserters who it believed could have
been plotting a coup with their former commander.
A Special Police Squad, led by a senior DIG, detained the
suspects under Emergency Regulations.
Top Opposition leaders had also visited the hotel where
Fonseka was staying. The General was escorted to his house
from the hotel on January 28.
The Sri Lankan elections chief has rejected the
allegations of fraud in the polls.
"I reject all analysis about the releasing of the
results. I worked 37 hours continuously in my office on the
day of elections," Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake had
said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 07, 2010, 17:24