Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka launched a blistering attack on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, accusing him of corruption, misuse of state property, and betrayal of the nation. Fonseka went so far as to declare that, according to the Constitution, Rajapaksa “deserves death by hanging.”
Speaking in response to a statement from Rajapaksa’s spokesperson about delays in vacating the former president’s official residence at Wijerama, Fonseka alleged that valuable state assets had been unlawfully moved from the President’s House and Temple Trees to the private residence.
Mocking the explanation that Rajapaksa was awaiting the completion of a government inventory, Fonseka said, “Do you believe that Mahinda Rajapaksa, who spent Rs. 500 million repairing the house, would even bring a coconut scraper bought with his own money?”
He claimed that the Wijerama residence contained imported luxury furniture and gifts taken from official properties and said Rajapaksa could be arrested within 24 hours if proper investigations were conducted.
Fonseka accused the Rajapaksas of using the lack of an inventory to delay returning state property. “If there is no record, then who was responsible? Gotabaya and Mahinda were the occupants. They must be held accountable,” he said, describing Rajapaksa as a “blood-sucking snake.”
He further charged that the former president’s actions during the final phase of the war allowed LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to escape. “In another country, Mahinda Rajapaksa would have been hanged by his feet for such treachery,” Fonseka said.
The former army commander also claimed that a massive network of corruption flourished under Rajapaksa, involving key state institutions such as the Ports Authority, Petroleum Corporation, Customs, and Inland Revenue Department.
He accused Rajapaksa of persecuting war veterans and said that, unlike the LTTE leader, the Rajapaksas targeted their own.
Fonseka urged the government to launch a high-level probe into his allegations, even calling for a presidential commission. “This government must prove its commitment to fighting corruption by acting against Mahinda Rajapaksa. Otherwise, no one will believe this country has been fixed,” he said.
