Opposition demands release of jailed ex-army chief in Sri Lanka

Feb 8, 2012, 8:05 GMT

Colombo - Opposition parties in Sri Lanka demonstrated Wednesday outside the Superior Courts Complex, demanding the immediate release of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, jailed on corruption charges.

The protest coincided with the second anniversary of the arrest of Fonseka, who spearheaded the military operations that defeated Tamil separatist rebels and brought an end to a 26-year-old conflict in May 2009.

'It is due to political revenge that he is being held in jail,' said Ranil Wickremesinghe, the opposition leader in Parliament, who led the protest.

After quitting the military, Fonseka unsuccessfully ran in the 2010 presidential election against incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa. Two weeks later, the former army chief was arrested.

Fonseka was found guilty in two courts martial, one on charges of engaging in politics while serving in the army and the other on irregular tender procedures over the awarding of a military contract to a company owned by his son-in-law.

He was sentenced to 30 months and discharged from the military.

Last year, he was sentenced to an additional three years after he was found guilty of making false allegations of war crimes against the military. That latest sentence was due to commence in April 2013.

A member of Fonseka's political party, the Democratic National Alliance, has been negotiating with Rajapaksa for the release of Fonseka.