Army Commander orders re-convening of first court martial against General

The first court martial against former Commander of the Army Parliamentarian Gen. Sarath Fonseka which had been suspended by the Appeal Court earlier this month was permitted to resume sittings when the case was taken up for hearing yesterday.

Accordingly, the Army Commander has decided to convene the court martial on the 1st June says Army spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe. The first court martial is held on charges that Gen. Fonseka engaged in politics while serving in the Army. 

When this court martial met on 6th April counsels representing Gen. Fonseka filed objections against the judges. The counsels pointed out that Maj. Gen. H.L. Weeratunga, the president of the court martial was the brother-in-law of the present Army Commander. Also, Maj. Gen. D.R.B. Jayatilleke, another member of the court martial, had been demoted by Gen. Fonseka when he was the Army commander as punishment for an offence and Maj. Gen. A.L.R. Wijetunga has been found guilty of an illegal tender deal. 

However, the judges dismissed those charges and decided to continue with the court martial. The same panel of judges would attend the court martial to be held on the 1st June.