Sri Lanka's ex-Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka, who contested the recent presidential election as the common opposition candidate was arrested along with his Media Secretary Senaka de Silva on Monday (08) evening at his office. By the time he was arrested he was attending a meeting with three other opposition party leaders, the initial reports revealed.
According to an eye witness, over 100 military policemen led by Major General Sumith Manawadu had taken part in the arrest operation. 'When the General refused to cooperate, he was dragged by his feet and was beaten up by the soldiers ' he said.
Meanwhile making a statement to the state television, the Director General of the Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hullugala told that the General will be Court Marshalled for revealing military secrets and plotting a coup to assassinate President Rajapaksa.
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Hundreds of journalists and media workers protested in front of Colombo's main railway station on Monday (08) afternoon against the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda and the arrest of 'Lanka' Editor Chandana Sirimalwatte. The protest convened by "Journalists aganist Suppression" was attended by the family members of the two journalists apart form their media colleagues.
Despite continuous local and international campaigns, the government has failed to probe into the disappearance of Prageeth who is missing since 24th of January while the Editor of the 'Lanka' paper is being detained by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for 10 days without any charge.
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Sri Lankan authorities are likely to question several media persons, who were present at a Colombo hotel during defeated opposition presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka's stay there, over the alleged plot by him to stage a coup and assassinate incumbent Mahinada Rajapaksa.
"The purpose is to get information as to what (former army chief) Sarath Fonseka's officials planned by detaining them within the hotel rooms," the government's website quoted defence sources as saying.
Authorities are already interrogating army "deserters" over the alleged coup plot by Fonseka, who was trounced by Rajapaksa in the January 26 Presidential poll.
Several media persons were present at the hotel, where Fonseka had moved in a day after the polls.
"Comprehensive inquiries are already in progress on the alleged plan mooted by the Sarath Fonseka group to assassinate President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the announcement of the Presidential election results (on January 27)," the website said.
Fonseka and his supporters were staying in more than 70 rooms of the hotel from where army deserters carrying weapons were arrested, it said, adding that those held were still under interrogation.
According to investigators, the recovery of explosives from some areas before the Presidential polls is linked to the President's assassination plot, the government website said.
The areas included Gokarella and Deniyaya in southern Sri Lanka and Maligawatee in Colombo suburbs.
© Express India
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