KuwaitSamachar

Sri Lanka's defeated presidential candidate, former General Sarath Fonseka, has been arrested and taken into custody charged with conspiracy against the president.

"He was dragged away in a very disgraceful manner in front of our own eyes," Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem told Reuters. One of Fonseka's security officers, I. P. Herath, confirmed the account.

The charges date back to the time when he was serving as the country's top military officer, Hakeem said.

Fonseca, who lost by an 18-point margin in the January 26 presidential election, blamed President Mahinda Rajapaksa of rigging the vote. The government in turn has accused him of a coup and an assassination plot while he was still serving.

The outspoken commander had quit his military post in November, after defeating the Tamil Tigers seeking autonomy for minority Tamils, to run as the candidate of a disparate opposition alliance.

Lakshman Hulugalle, director of the state-run Media Center for National Security, said Fonseka had been arrested by military police and would be tried by a court-martial that will be closed to the public.

"He was having discussions with various political party leaders and the opposition to overthrow the government and the president, and getting into politics and planning to divide the army while he was still serving," Hulugalle said.

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