White Flag issue :

AG indicts Fonseka

Wasantha RAMANAYAKE

Attorney General Mohan Pieris yesterday indicted General Sarath Fonseka before the Colombo High Court to be tried without a Jury, before a Trial-at- Bar in respect of the White Flag Issue.

The Attorney General indicted him with three charges i.e General Sarath Fonseka in an interview with Sunday Leader Editor Frederica Jansz had said that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had ordered Major General Shavendra Silva to shoot at sight the LTTE cadres who come with white flags to surrender to the Sri Lanka Army during the final stages of the war, divulging military details to the Sunday Leader Editor Frederica Jansz and inciting ill will in the minds of the people towards the Government and causing divisions among the various ethnic groups.

According to the indictment the Sunday Leader Editor had interviewed Fonseka on December 07, 2009 in the presence of Lal Wickrematunga, T. Wijewardane and Photo journalist Thushitha Kumara. The article was published in the Sunday Leader on December 13, 2009.

In terms of the indictment Major General Shavendra Silva had refuted the allegations. However, Fonseka had refuted making such a statement at the interview. Although clarifications were published in the newspaper on December 20, the statement was not challenged. Chief Justice Asoka de Silva will appoint the Trial-at-Bar in due course.