Sri Lanka's former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who is facing sedition charges, will face a military court "very soon", a media report said today.
Sri Lankan military police arrested General Fonseka last Monday on sedition charges. The government had accused the Opposition presidential candidate of "plotting against the president while in the military... With the idea of overthrowing the government".
The Daily Mirror Online, quoting government sources, said Fonseka, whose arrest has pushed the country into political turmoil, will face the Military Court "very soon".
While the Supreme Court has decided to take up the fundamental rights petition filed by Anoma Fonseka, the wife of the General, against his alleged arbitrary arrest, the military will continue its investigations against Fonseka and produce him before the Military Court soon, a source was quoted as saying by the Sri Lankan news website.
Without elaborating, Director General of the Media Center for National Security, Lakshman Hulugalla said Fonseka can be tried under the military law till May 2010.
"According to the law, we can try him under the military law till May," Hulugalla was quoted as saying.
Rajapaksa and Fonseka, who together planned the military defeat of the LTTE last May, fell out soon. In a bitter presidential contest, the former army chief lost to Mahinda Rajapaksa, triggering a political turmoil in the country.
The Sri Lankan Opposition has called Fonseka's arrest illegal and an act of political vengeance, threatening countrywide protests.
Meanwhile, amid mounting pressure by Buddhist monks to release the "gallant officer", the government plans to send a delegation to meet the country's powerful religious leaders to clarify the reasons behind the detention of Fonseka.
The clergy had appealed to Rajapaksa to release Fonseka from custody, saying it was "unacceptable" to arrest a "gallant officer", who played a key role in defeating LTTE, due to "petty political differences".
