( May 20, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has pardoned and authorized the release of jailed former army commander Sarath Fonseka, a presidential spokesman said here on Sunday.
President's spokesman Bandula Jayasekera said that the document 's authorizing Fonseka's release were signed by the president before he left on an official visit to Qatar late Saturday evening.
"President Rajapaksa signed the papers and handed them over to his chief of staff before leaving for Qatar to enable the release of Fonseka. The papers will be sent to the Justice Ministry on Monday," Jayasekera said in a statement.
Fonseka, who is receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo for an ailment, will be freed from prison once the papers are sent to the prison authorities.
The president had last week obtained his cabinet's approval to free Fonseka from prison, the same week Sri Lanka celebrated three years since the end of the 30-year war against the Tamil Tiger rebels.
Jayasekera earlier insisted that the decision to free Fonseka was not as a result of international pressure or demands from local political parties.
An opposition legislator had several discussions with the president to secure Fonseka's release and last week the legislator told reporters that the talks had been a success.
Fonseka led the army during the final battle against the rebels which eventually led to the defeat of the rebels in May 2009.
However, he was arrested and jailed after he contested against Rajapaksa for the post of president during 2010 elections.
He faced charges of harboring army deserters, illegal arms dealings and allegedly telling a local newspaper that soldiers shot dead unarmed Tamil Tiger rebels who had surrendered during the final stages of the war.
- Agencies
 Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has pardoned and authorized the release of jailed forme...){kind=link}
Post a Comment