Saturday, October 09, 2010

Ex Army Chief's wife should appeal to President for husband’s release – Govt.



By Zacki Jabbar | The Island
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Anoma Fonseka should stop holding public protests and request President Mahinda Rajapaksa to release her husband, Sarath Fonseka, who was serving a 30-month jail term, the government said on Thursday.

Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told the weekly Cabinet press briefing in Colombo that Anoma should follow Chandrika Kumaratunga’s example and appeal for her husband’s freedom.


"Chandrika appealed twelve times to the then President J. R. Jayewardene to release her husband Vijaya Kumaranatunga, who was imprisoned on Naxalite charges," he said. "We think Anoma should follow Chandrika’s example, without protesting all over the country."

Rambukwella said that Fonseka had rejected the findings of the two court martials against him, but had forgotten that three of those who sat in judgement, were those he had picked to preside over military tribunals during his tenure as army commander.

"How can Fonseka now reject the verdicts given by the very people whom he had appointed to hear cases against other Army personnel," he queried.

Fonseka was convicted by a Military Court for allegedly violating tender procedure in purchasing military equipment, when he was the army commander and sentenced to a 30-month rigorous imprisonment term, which commenced on the 23rd of this month.

He was earlier found guilty by another Military Tribunal of allegedly dabbling in politics, while in uniform and stripped of his rank and pension rights.

© The Island

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