Former Navy Chief Admiral (Rtd) Wasantha Karannagoda has sent a letter of demand seeking Rs. 500 million from Opposition presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka for making a statement defamatory of him in an interview with Sirasa on December 24.

Attorney-at-law M. M. Athula Priyadarshana de Silva said that Fonseka’s statement was malicious and had, in fact, tarnished his good name, reputation and public image, thereby causing him irreparable damage.

He said that unless Rs. 500 million was paid within 14 days, legal action would be instituted against Fonseka.

In the interview at issue, Fonseka said that when Karannagoda was asked to leave his uniform in 48 hours he had cried, truly like a small child. "But when I was asked to hand over the Army, I did not cry. I was not asked to leave the uniform. When he was asked to leave in 48 hours, he cried. When he was also given a bogus letter purportedly appointing him as National Security Advisor or something similar, he took it with one hand from the President; he did not even extend both hands. As he was taking it, he said to the President injustice was done to him. At that time the President shouted and scolded him. When he was crying, the Secretary Defence took him to a room in the President’s house and scolded him, saying that he had stayed long enough and that he should leave now. That is how he was treated. If I was treated in such a degrading manner, I would not have remained in service."