'Credit for releasing Fonseka goes to President'

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

Credit for releasing Sarath Fonseka should go to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

Addressing the media yesterday at the NFF head office in Battaramulla Minister Weerawansa said that only the President has powers to release a person who was jailed under a court order before the relevant time period. So there is no doubt that the credit for releasing Fonseka should go to the President.

"But some people try to get that credit for them. But the President or the government never tries to get that credit," the minister said.

He also said that after his release, Fonseka has made some unpatriotic statements. A day after his release from jail Sarath Fonseka has told certain media that Sri Lanka must co-operate with any international investigation into alleged war crimes.

This type of statement will badly affect the War Heroes. "Fonseka also said that he believed civilians were given weapons and put in the front lines by the LTTE and as a result the Army would not have been able to identify them from the terrorists.

At the same time he has said that he rejected accusations that thousands of civilians had been killed in the final phase of the offensive.

These two statements are contradictory. As the ex-army commander he should not make these types of comments as they will help some Western countries, such as the USA, to work against Sri Lanka," the minister said.

The minister further said that Fonseka made these statements without any fear as he is confident that there will be no complaints against him as he was not in the country during the last few days of the war. So we request him not to make unpatriotic statements which support Western influences against the country.'