Sri Lankan Ex-Army Chief Sarath Fonseka Faces Treason Charges

Sri Lankan Ex-Army Chief Sarath Fonseka Faces Treason Charges

Colombo (ABC Live): Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday said charges will be framed in two weeks' time against detained ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka in civil courts for allegedly plotting against the government and creating unrest within the force.

Colombo (ABC Live): Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday said charges will be framed in two weeks' time against detained ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka in civil courts for allegedly plotting against the government and creating unrest within the force.

Information to this effect was shared by Sri Lankan Government Spokesman G L Peiris that Under the Lankan Penal Code, 59-year-old Fonseka will be charged with "fraud, condoning fraud, plotting against the government, creating unrest within the army and keeping army deserters under his protection.

In addition, charges will be framed against him under the Exchange Control Act for violating foreign exchange laws and condoning their violations, Peiris, also a senior minister, said.

Fonseka also faces the possibility of being tried in a military court separately.

Soon after his arrest on conspiracy charges on February 8, Minister of Media Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena had said the General was held under military act 57(1)for divulging secrets while in service.

Abeywardena had said a possible court martial could flow from the summary of evidence being collected by the military.

Fonseka, who is being detained at the Naval headquarters in Colombo, was the joint opposition candidate in the January 26 Presidential polls and was defeated by incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Now, he is set to contest the April 8 parliamentary polls as a candidate of the opposition Marxist JVP-dominated Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and has already signed his nomination papers.