By Shamindra Ferdinando

Will DNA leader General Sarath Fonseka be allowed to go on an overseas sojourn, with a parliamentary delegation?

The government says Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader General Sarath Fonseka, MP will have to clear his impending overseas visit with the judiciary as he remains in detention, though Parliament has sanctioned his visit.

Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who is also the Defence Spokesman, says the former Army Chief’s participation in a visit to Kenya as part of a parliamentary delegation entirely depended on the approval of the judiciary.

Addressing the media at the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) yesterday he said that as a member of the Parliament, MP Fonseka had received parliamentary approval to join a delegation of MPs for a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Kenya.

He said that Fonseka receiving parliamentary approval was not an issue, but there were other issues beyond that. He emphasised that the ongoing judicial inquiries could not be ignored.

Responding to a query by The Island, Minister Rambukwella said that the final decision on Fonseka’s overseas visit rested with the Courts and he would have to seek approval from the Court. The minister said that Fonseka had the freedom to proceed and explore the possibility of obtaining approval.

DNA parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, MP last week told The Island that Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa had approved Fonseka’s nomination as a member of the Sri Lankan delegation for an IPU confab in September.

Minister Rambukwella said Fonseka was being held for a non-bailable offence. Fonseka is facing a charge of falsely implicating Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in a war crimes in an interview with a newspaper in the run-up to the presidential election on January 26.

Fonseka, who contested on the DNA ticket from Colombo at the April 8 parliamentary election, was returned.

Fonseka is facing two courts martial on conspiracy charges and irregularities in military procurement, while his son-in-law Dhanuna Tillekeratne, wanted by the police for alleged offences in relation to arms procurement, is evading arrest.

Opposition sources alleged that the government was planning to thwart Fonseka’s visit fearing he might discuss the conduct of the armed forces during the last stage of the military campaign against the LTTE. UNP and JVP sources said that the government should not deny General Fonseka’s right as a Member of Parliament to attend an official conference. Responding to a query by The Island, sources said that they would campaign vigorously to ensure Fonseka’s participation at the IPU conference.