RS: SF! An issue involving your honesty & integrity! Do not try to hide behind others!It is your responsibility to clear your name before the country!

“We will expose you”

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

The ruling UPFA yesterday dropped another bombshell on the opposition Presidential candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka alleging that he had directly involved in purchasing weapons through a firm in the US while serving as Army Commander and threw a challenge to prove otherwise in the next 48 hours or threatened that he would be exposed.

Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne addressing a news conference at the Mahaweli Center said the government is in possession of documentary evidence to prove that General Fonseka has given orders to a company in Oklahoma, within US 25 million ceiling entitled to the Army Commander, to purchase weapons without prior approval from the Defence Ministry.

Minister Senaratne said the address given by General Fonseka when he obtained the US Green Card and this company were the same.

“General Fonseka has chaired all Tender Board meetings when the

alleged purchases from this firm were approved.

“The procedure adopted by previous Army Commanders was that the Tender Board meetings to purchase weapons under US$ 25 million were chaired by the Chief of Staff. This is in contrast to General Fonseka’s declared position that he or his son in law had never involved in arms purchases and had challenged to prove that they involved in it.

“We have documents to show that the entire Fonseka family has been in this business and it is up to General Fonseka to prove us wrong. We would publish all documents we are in possession this week if General Fonseka does not accept our challenge and participates in a debate to prove his innocence,” Dr. Senaratne challengd.

“General Fonseka had put the responsibility of all weapon purchases on Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in spite of he himself chairing the tender board meetings right throughout since 2006.

“Dr. Senaratne alleged that General Fonseka has attempted to change the address of his son in law’s firm when the information of arms dealings begun to infiltrate to the media hoodwinking even the US government.

“This is a direct challenge to General Fonseka. Do not attempt to link this exposure with the debate between two main Presidential candidates.

“This is an issue involving your honesty and integrity. Do not try to hide behind others saying that you debate only with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It is your responsibility to clear your name before the country at large and before the voter in particular,” he charged.

“The UPFA camp is ready to prove all these allegations with documents and awaiting the response of General Fonseka camp. We would be delighted if General Fonseka comes for the debate because it is he who knows better. But we are ready to accept any other person or persons nominated by General Fonseka for the open debate,” Dr. Senaratne said.

Dr. Senaratne said they decided to expose General Fonseka as he continued to level corruption allegations against President Rajapaksa without an iota of evidence.

“They are still to produce a single piece of document against President Rajapaksa, Gotabhaya or Basil. All allegations against Rajapaksas are hearsays. We challenge them to produce any acceptable evidence. They brought allegations during the 2005 Presidential election against Mahinda Rajapaksa on ‘Helping Hambantota’ project. The allegations came to an end after the complainant was fined for Rs. 200.000 by the court. “Here we are with documentary evidence to prove that General Fonseka involved in corruptions while serving as Army Commander. Now the ball is in your court. Prove we are wrong. I never level allegations against any one if I do not have authentic evidence. I take the full responsibility for all these allegations and ready to prove them in an open debate,” Dr. Senaratne said.

DM Quote

“This is an issue involving your honesty and integrity. Do not try to hide behind others saying that you debate only with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It is your responsibility to clear your name before the country at large and before the voter in particular,”

- Rajitha
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