The firsthand account of the drama leading to Fonseka’s arrest
Tue, 2010-02-09 04:08 — editor
The scene: office of an important person located at Rajakeeya Mawatha, opposite the Royal College, Colombo. The time: 10 p m on Monday.
The Provo Martial of the Military Police Brigadier Wijesri enters the Office with authority. He is accompanied by Maj Gen S R Manawaduge, Commandant of Western Province and Puttalam, and the Colonel of the Commando Regiment. The police top echelons are also present.
The Provo Martial of the Military Police Brigadier has an important assignment on hand, that was already talk of the town. Only the timing was not known and how was not known.
The million dollar assignment is carrying out the state’s order—the arrest of the former Army Commander and the Chief of Defence Staff. Sarath Fonseka, the unsuccessful presidential candidate.
As the military top brass enter the office, Mano Ganeshan leader of the Democratic Peoples Front , Somawansa Amarasinghe, Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna, Rauff Hakeem, Leader of the Muslim Congress, and Retired Police Captain Senaka Arnold Haripriya de Silva alias Captain Shah Silva are seated there.
The Army asks the political associates who are there to leave the place for them to perform their military duties without any let or hindrance. Nay, it was an order.
While the politicians refused to leave the premises, Captain Shah Silva starts abusing the Army officers in filthy language and begins to curse the Sri Lankan President, Asian Tribune learnt.
He was arrested and handed over to the police who was wanted by them, as he was evading arrest.
At that time Sarath Fonseka was wearing a half sleeves white shirt, Brown color pant and also wearing shoes.
Subsequently, the Provo Martial of the Military Police Brigadier Wijesri informs politely to Sarath Fonseka about his impending arrest.
Asian Tribune learnt that Sarath Fonseka demands that he should be arrested only by the Police.
Even though there are leading police personnel present along with the Army personnel, Brigadier Wijesri, the head of the Military Police says that they have come to make a military arrest and reads out charges against him.
The main charges are:
• Politicking whilst in uniform
• Conspiring against the Commander-in-Chief whilst in Service,
• Harboring more than 1,500 deserters whilst on service,
• And corrupt practices in relating to military procurements
After reading out the charges the Military Police chief requests Sarath Fonseka to follow them to the vehicle to be taken out.
As Sarath Fonseka refuses to cooperate with Military Officers who came for his arrest on the orders of the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, and started to abuse the officers in utter filth as usual, the Army Officers told Asian Tribune that they had to force carry him to the vehicle.
As he is force carried, by the armymen, Asian Tribune learnt that later Sarath Fonseka agrees to walk the distance to the vehicle and so he was allowed to walk.
The former Army Commander was taken in a bullet-proof land rover and Asian Tribune learnt ultimately he has been lodged in one of the quarters located at the Sri Lanka Navy Head Quarters.
- Asian Tribune -
http://asiantribune.com/news/2010/02/09/firsthand-account-drama-leading-fonseka’s-arrest
Tue, 2010-02-09 04:08 — editor
The scene: office of an important person located at Rajakeeya Mawatha, opposite the Royal College, Colombo. The time: 10 p m on Monday.
The Provo Martial of the Military Police Brigadier Wijesri enters the Office with authority. He is accompanied by Maj Gen S R Manawaduge, Commandant of Western Province and Puttalam, and the Colonel of the Commando Regiment. The police top echelons are also present.
The Provo Martial of the Military Police Brigadier has an important assignment on hand, that was already talk of the town. Only the timing was not known and how was not known.
The million dollar assignment is carrying out the state’s order—the arrest of the former Army Commander and the Chief of Defence Staff. Sarath Fonseka, the unsuccessful presidential candidate.
As the military top brass enter the office, Mano Ganeshan leader of the Democratic Peoples Front , Somawansa Amarasinghe, Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna, Rauff Hakeem, Leader of the Muslim Congress, and Retired Police Captain Senaka Arnold Haripriya de Silva alias Captain Shah Silva are seated there.
The Army asks the political associates who are there to leave the place for them to perform their military duties without any let or hindrance. Nay, it was an order.
While the politicians refused to leave the premises, Captain Shah Silva starts abusing the Army officers in filthy language and begins to curse the Sri Lankan President, Asian Tribune learnt.
He was arrested and handed over to the police who was wanted by them, as he was evading arrest.
At that time Sarath Fonseka was wearing a half sleeves white shirt, Brown color pant and also wearing shoes.
Subsequently, the Provo Martial of the Military Police Brigadier Wijesri informs politely to Sarath Fonseka about his impending arrest.
Asian Tribune learnt that Sarath Fonseka demands that he should be arrested only by the Police.
Even though there are leading police personnel present along with the Army personnel, Brigadier Wijesri, the head of the Military Police says that they have come to make a military arrest and reads out charges against him.
The main charges are:
• Politicking whilst in uniform
• Conspiring against the Commander-in-Chief whilst in Service,
• Harboring more than 1,500 deserters whilst on service,
• And corrupt practices in relating to military procurements
After reading out the charges the Military Police chief requests Sarath Fonseka to follow them to the vehicle to be taken out.
As Sarath Fonseka refuses to cooperate with Military Officers who came for his arrest on the orders of the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, and started to abuse the officers in utter filth as usual, the Army Officers told Asian Tribune that they had to force carry him to the vehicle.
As he is force carried, by the armymen, Asian Tribune learnt that later Sarath Fonseka agrees to walk the distance to the vehicle and so he was allowed to walk.
The former Army Commander was taken in a bullet-proof land rover and Asian Tribune learnt ultimately he has been lodged in one of the quarters located at the Sri Lanka Navy Head Quarters.
- Asian Tribune -
http://asiantribune.com/news/2010/02/09/firsthand-account-drama-leading-fonseka’s-arrest
