Gota objected to withdrawing court martial verdict

Friday, 25 May 2012

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has told the President not to pardon and exonerate Sarath Fonseka from the 30 month jail term given by the second court martial, reliable sources said.

The Defence Secretary has said that such an action would displease the senior military personnel who sat in the court martial and others who have opposed Fonseka.

The President had also agreed and has therefore not exonerated Fonseka from the guilty verdicts. Therefore, Fonseka has lost his civic rights for a period of seven years since he has served a jail term for two years.

A senior Buddhist monk had inquired about Fonseka’s release from the President when he had visited Kataragama on the 23rd and visited the ailing Vice Chancellor of the Uva Wellassa University, Ven. Dr. Aluthwewa Soratha Thero.

The President has said that he had not pardoned Fonseka from the court martial verdict since it would have put the military seniors in a difficult situation.

However, the President has added that he had the constitutional power to pardon and exonerate Fonseka from the court martial verdict as well. He has observed that he could discuss with military heads and get their consent to grant a pardon to Fonseka if he displayed good behavior.

The President has said that Fonseka soon after his release was trying to take him and senior military personnel before an international tribunal.