The brother of Sri Lanka\u2019s former president Mahinda Rajapakse denied on Tuesday involvement in war-era death squads, blaming the then army chief for an alleged secretive campaign of extra-judicial murders.<\/p>\n
Gotabhaya Rajapakse has been accused of giving orders to a shadowy military outfit allegedly involved in murdering journalists and political dissidents during Sri Lanka\u2019s long-running civil war.<\/p>\n
In testimony filed to court on Monday, former army chief Sarath Fonseka said this death squad was run by military intelligence but took orders from Gotabhaya Rajapakse, a powerful defence secretary during his brother\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n
Gotabhaya Rajapaksesaid Fonseka \u2014 who led Sri Lanka\u2019s armed forces between December 2005 and July 2009 \u2014 should answer for the excesses carried out by troops under his command.<\/p>\n
\u201cI deny any involvement with these killings,\u201d Gotabhaya Rajapakse told AFP. \u201cIf he (Fonseka) knew there was a secret hit squad, what action did he take as army commander?\u201d<\/p>\n
Fonseka led Sri Lanka\u2019s victorious final offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009, but fell out of favour after unsuccessfully challenging Mahinda Rajapakse for the presidency the following year.<\/p>\n
The Criminal Investigations Department told the court the death squad was involved in a litany of abuses against the media during Mahinda Rajapakse\u2019s presidency, in which 17 journalists and media staff were killed.<\/p>\n
Just hours after submitting its report, police arrested a sixth military officer for alleged involvement in the abduction and assault of an editor in 2008. Five others were arrested last month over the same case.<\/p>\n
Police also allege the death squad was behind the 2009 murder of prominent newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunga, whose death sparked an international outcry.<\/p>\n
Wickrematunga had accused Gotabhaya Rajapakse of taking kickbacks in arms purchases, including a deal to buy used MiG jet fighters, and was due to testify against him in court when he was killed.<\/p>\n
Mahinda Rajapakse and several members of his family are under investigation for large-scale fraud and murder during his presidency, which ended in 2015.<\/p>\n
All deny any wrongdoing and in turn accuse the new government of a political vendetta.<\/p>\n
Courtesy: New Indian Express<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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