Sri Lanka Supreme Court refuses to release Fonseka

COLOMBO - The Supreme Court Tuesday rejected a plea for the release of former army commander General Sarath Fonseka in military custody for two weeks on charges of conspiracy against the government, officials said.

The high court agreed with the attorney general’s argument that General Sarath Fonseka should not be released because military proceedings were continuing against him.

The court did grant permission for Fonseka’s family and lawyers to visit him in custody, and to take measures to ensure his safety.

Fonseka led the final military offensive that defeated the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May last year.

Two weeks after the war ended, the commander was given the largely ceremonial post of chief of defence staff, leading to a fallout with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Fonseka decided to enter politics and contested the Jan 26 presidential elections as an opposition candidate. He received 40 percent of the vote against Rajapaksa, who won a second term with 58 percent.

Soldiers arrested Fonseka Feb 8, allegedly for having shared sensitive military information with the opposition while serving as army commander and chief of staff. His lawyers and relatives have denied the allegations on his behalf.

One of the key opposition parties in the country is also planning to field Fonseka as one of their candidates in the April 8 parliamentary elections.

But the opposition alliance which backed Fonseka presidential candidacy has crumbled, with other parties deciding to contest the legislative races on their own.