15 February 2010 10:22 am
Former Army Chief and Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka will face the Military Court very soon, government sources told Daily Mirror Online.
While the Supreme Court has decided to take up the fundamental rights petition filed by Anoma Fonseka, the wife of General Fonseka, against his alleged arbitrary arrest, the military will continue its investigations against Fonseka and produce him before the Military Court soon, the source added.
When contacted over the issue, Director General of the Media Center for National Security, Lakshman Hulugalla refused to comment saying a Military Court was not a public hearing and therefore could not divulge any information.
“We are not going to keep the media informed about this issue as this is not a public hearing,” Mr. Hulugalla said.
When questioned if General Fonseka can be categorized as a civilian and not a military officer as he is now retired from service, Mr. Hulugalla insisted that the General can be tried under the military law over the next six months. “According to the law, we can try him under the military law till May,” Mr. Hulugalla said.
Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse in a recent interview with Singapore’s Strait Times said that General Fonseka will be charged in both military and civilian courts for offences ranging from planning his political career while in uniform to ordering the murders of critical journalists.
Mr. Rajapakse suggested that the General may be charged in civilian courts for offences including the murder in January 2009 of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge. (Daily Mirror online)