A Sri Lankan military court Friday convicted the former army chief, who ran for president on the opposition ticket, of fraud. He could be sentenced to jail time. Sarath Fonseka has already been dishonorably discharged following an earlier court-martial conviction. He has described the prosecutions as a political vendetta and said they were launched to persecute him for daring to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presidential election earlier this year. Government spokesman Lakshman Hulugalla said the court-martial that heard the case against Fonseka has sent its recommendation to the president and the sentence will be announced after his approval. Fonseka is accused of bypassing military procedures in purchasing equipment and involving his son-in-law in the dealings. The verdict came weeks after Fonseka was stripped of his rank, pension, medals and other military honors after another court-martial convicted him of involvement in politics while in service.
