Stage set for Fonseka release

COLOMBO, May 20, 2012

The stage has been set for the release of the jailed General Sarath Fonseka, contrary to speculation that a procedural snag was delaying his leaving the hospital where he was shifted to last week.



"President Mahinda Rajapaksa signed the papers on 18th evening and handed over the papers to Chief of Staff Gamini Senerath before leaving for Qatar to enable the release of Sarath Fonseka. Papers will be sent to the Ministry of Justice on Monday," Bandula Jayasekara, Presidential Spokesman, said early on Sunday.



Speculation on his release date began doing the rounds after The Hindu broke the story on his release, after speaking to the President on the sidelines of a function held here last week to launch a book, Gota's War.



At no stage did the officials set a date on the release. The President himself is on record, telling The Hindu that details of his release were being worked out, and that he was waiting for MP Tiren Alles, the main negotiator between the President and the Fonseka family, to come back from abroad, before taking steps on procedures ahead of a release. The first formality was a Cabinet approval. This came last Thursday.



Sarath Fonseka, who was arrested on February 8, 2010 by military police and subjected to a court martial on a variety of charges, that included harbouring deserters, and defaming the Defence Secretary, has served more than 2 years in prison. He is now serving a 30-month jail term and has also been convicted for another 3 years last November.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com