A senior official from the Defence Secretary has put pressure on Sarasth Fonseka’s private secretary, retired Captain Senaka de Silva to plead guilty in the case before the High Court where Fonseka and he have been accused of harboring 10 army deserters during the period of the last Presidential election, it is learnt.

The Attorney General’s Department has filed the case before the High Court on 41 charges. The case is currently being hard at the High Court and is to be taken up for hearing again on the 7th. The Defence Ministry official has assured de Silva that if he pleads guilty at the hearing, all his business would be supported while also returning his overseas travel documents.

De Silva was taken into custody by the security forces along with Fonseka and was detained for over one and a half years on the above mentioned charges. He was granted bail by courts about a year ago.

The main accused in the case, Fonseka was also granted bail on May 18th.

A Democratic Party activist told us that although the President had assured MP Tiran Alles that all cases against Foseka would be withdrawn, it has not yet happened.

Hence the cases against Fonseka over harboring 10 army deserters and against Fonseka’s son in-law, Dhanuna Thilekaratne’s mother have not yet been withdrawn.