Sri Lanka: Editor says 'Former Army chief blamed Defence Secretary for killings'

BBC Sinhala
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The defence secretary has ordered the killings of the Tamil Tigers who came to surrender, former commander of the army had told the editor of Sunday Leader, the Colombo High Court was told on Monday.

The editor, Frederica Jansz was giving evidence in a trial against the former military chief.

public disaffection

Sarath Fonseka is accused of spreading public disaffection by quoting allegations that the defence secretary ordered surrendering Tamil Tiger leaders to be shot dead last year.

Mr Rajapaksa has denied doing any such thing and has expressed outrage at the statements of his former friend, now bitter enemy, who was the army commander at the time.

The Sunday Leader editor told courts the former commander had told in an interview with her, that defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had instructed field commander Brigadier Shavendra De Silva to kill surrendering Tamil Tiger leaders who approached the advancing army with white flags.

Presidential campaign

The controversial claim in the interview by editor Jansz with Sarath Fonseka was published during his presidential campaign.

Quoting the former head of the army, the editor said, information about the imminent surrender of LTTE leaders, S. Puleethevan, B. Nadesan and Ramesh were conveyed to Presidential adviser Basil Rajapkasa through the government of Norway and several other nations. Basil Rajapaksa had passed the requests to his brother, the defence secretary.

Misquoted

Frederica Jansz told the courts that she verified the facts with the former commander before she publishing the story. He had stood by the facts and agreed the statements to be published in her newspaper.

Basil Rajapaksa when contacted denied the allegation, she added

Sarath Fonseka had maintained the position that the newspaper had misquoted him.

20 years in Jail

Outside the courts, Fonseka vowed to fight for democracy as he was escorted out of prison to attend the court case against him, widely known as the 'white flag case.

He told supporters gathered outside the Colombo High Court that he was prepared to sacrifice his life and will not give up his struggle "for democracy".

It was his first outing since he began his 30-month jail term Thursday after a court martial conviction

If found guilty of Inciting people to violence, Fonseka could face up to another 20 years in jail.

© BBC Sinhala