Trial of former Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka, accused of engaging in politics while in uniform, began Tuesday at a military court in the capital Colombo, reports said.
Fonsenka was also charged with violating military procurement procedures which he termed as politically-motivated and intended to stop him from contesting next month's Parliamentary elections.
Although the authorities accuse him of plotting a coup and the assassination of President Mahinda Rajapakse, the charges will not figure at the court martial.
Fonseka was the Sri Lankan Army Chief when it defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels after a 25-year civil war, but soon fell out with Rajapakse over who should take credit for the victory.
Later he entered politics and unsuccessfully contested the presidential elections as the Opposition candidate against Rajapakse.
Barely months after being feted as a war hero, Fonseka was arrested by the Army in February and detained at the heavily- fortified naval headquarters in Colombo.
Meanwhile, media have been barred from attending the court martial at the naval headquarters, with even the wording of the charges being kept a tight secret.
Despite the in camera trial, it is believed that if found guilty of the charges, Fonsenka can appeal against the verdict in a civilian court of law, besides being given the freedom to have his own lawyers at the trial.
However, opinion is divided on whether the Rajapakse government was right in deciding to court martial Fonseka since he does not belong to the Army anymore and deputing middle-level Army officers to serve as adjutants at the trial.
The Opposition National Democratc Alliance which fielded Fonseka as its candidate in the presidential poll said it would boycott the proceedings.
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