Gotabhaya and Fonseka trade accusations

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Two of Sri Lanka's defense titans traded accusations with two of the most controversial cases involving journalists. One was the abduction of Keith Noyar and the other was the unlawful killing of Lasantha Wickrematunge. The Daily Mirror in its May 10th edition carried a detailed account of the accusation and the counter-accusation made by Former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the Former Army Commander of his choice General Sarath Fonseka. In the Daily Mirror report, Gotabaya Rajapaksa claims that key technical evidence presented by the CID to the courts was unearthed during the Rajapaksa administration. Rajapaksa had recalled that the records of telephone conversations and other evidence were unearthed during their time. Adding that he ordered all the intelligence agencies to conduct investigations to identify the perpetrators. He specifically recalled doing so in connection with the murder of Wickrematunge and the abduction and assault of Noyahr. “I knew, definitely, that Sarath Fonseka was behind these crimes,” Rajapaksa added. According to Rajapaksa, despite him knowing that the Former Army Commander was behind these incidents, he still allowed the CID to obtain the correct evidence and conduct investigations. He further says he did not take action because he did not want to gain political advantage over it. Meanwhile, Minister Sarath Fonseka says "If Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is a self-respecting person, he should come out and reveal the truth and make available the information he has to the CID instead of leveling wild accusations against me in the media." “When the police are closing in on him this is what he does. Rather than defending himself, he sends his lawyers running to the Supreme Court to get rulings preventing him from being arrested. The day I am accused, I will defend myself like a lion, not like a coward,” Fonseka asserted.