Sri Lanka general refutes charges

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, March 16 (UPI) -- Sri Lanka's former army chief, once hailed as a hero in the campaign against rebel Tamil Tigers, faces charges he says are designed to remove him from politics.

Retired Gen. Sarath Fonseka is charged with engaging in politics while still the commander of the army and making military purchases in contravention of set procedures, The Hindu reported in its Wednesday edition.

Sarath Fonseka is the country's first four-star general. Tuesday's court-martial in front of three military judges is the first against a former army chief in Sri Lanka.

The former military commander's lawyers alleged the judges are biased, and a military court can no longer rule on Fonseka's case, because he left the army more than six months ago, CNN reported.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Fonseka were allies in last year's battle against the Tigers before drifting apart.

Fonseka's supporters say the former general was seen as a threat to the Rajapaksa government. His arrest was ordered to avert his partaking in the April 8 parliamentary elections, CNN said.

Fonseka was arrested Feb. 8 on several charges, including attempt to destabilize the government. He has challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court, which has a hearing set for April 26, The Hindu said.