One year ago, Gen. Sarath Fonseka was a hero in Sri Lanka. As head of the army, he played a key role in crushing the Tamil insurgency that had waged civil war against the government in Colombo for decades.
Last week, Mr. Fonseka — he had already been dishonorably discharged for politicking while in uniform — was found guilty of fraud by a military court and faced the prospect of jail time.
Mr. Fonseka was charged with bypassing official procurement procedures and involving his son-in-law in those deals. Most observers believe his real crime was running against President Mahinda Rajapaska in the presidential election earlier this year.