Sri Lanka ex-army chief Fonseca found guilty

A court martial has found the former Sri Lankan armed forces chief, General Sarath Fonseka, guilty of engaging in politics while on active service.

General Fonseka led the army in its victory in 2009 against the Tamil Tigers and was hailed as a war hero by the majority Sinhalese community for bringing an end to 26 years of civil war. He has been detained by the authorities since shortly after January's presidential election, when he failed to oust President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Officials say he will be stripped of his rank and medals once the government has ratified the decision.

Charles Haviland reports from Colombo.