Colombo- Sri Lanka's defeated presidential candidate was hauled away by military police from his office on Monday and will be court-martialed for allegedly planning to overthrow the government while serving as the head of the army. Sarath Fonseka, who as the top general helped defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels, was forcibly detained after objecting to his arrest, opposition politician Rauff Hakeem told The Associated Press. Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa were once strong allies who combined to defeat the Tigers, ending the country's 25-year civil war last May. But they later fell out and Fonseka quit his post. They contested a bitter election last month for the presidency, won by the incumbent, Rajapaksa. Officials have accused Fonseka of plotting to kill Rajapaksa and overthrow the government with the help of army deserters and former military officers. Fonseka has called the allegations fabricated and vowed to push on with his political career. Mano Ganeshan, an opposition lawmaker, said Fonseka was "arrested and forcibly carried away" while having a discussion with a group of political allies. Hakeem said Fonseka objected to being arrested by military police instead of civilian officers, since he was no longer in the military.
