COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s former army chief Sarath Fonseka on Wednesday joined the coalition government which has vowed to probe allegations of atrocities committed during the bloody finale of the island’s separatist war.

Fonseka declared he had “nothing to hide” after signing an agreement with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to become part of the government which has promised justice for tens of thousands of war victims.

“I have always said that I am ready to face any investigation,” Fonseka told reporters in Colombo. “We have nothing to hide. I feel that the allegations must be investigated.” Fonseka led troops to victory over Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009, ending the 37-year war, but he fell out with then president Mahinda Rajapakse over who deserved the credit.

The decorated general was then publicly humiliated, stripped of his rank, pension and medals collected in a 40-year career. He spent two years in jail and lost the right to contest elections for seven years.

After winning presidential polls a year ago, Maithripala Sirisena used his executive powers to clear Fonseka of treason and other charges lodged against him after he mounted a failed bid to unseat Rajapakse at his January 2010 re-election.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2016