According to informed sources within the Air Force, Air Force Commanding officer Air chief Marshall Roshan Gunatileke who faithfully and loyally commanded the Air Force in the 4th Eelam war victory has been scheduled for retirement today (28), just three days before the celebrations of the Air Force marking the completion of its 60 years in existence.
The former Army Commander Gen. Fonseka too was deprived of a similar opportunity by appointing him as the Chief of the defense staff at that time. Despite Gen. Fonseka making a request to allow him to continue in his Army Commander position until the celebrations were over was declined by the Defense Secretary Gotabaya
Rajapakse.
This time, it is a similar axing that has been performed against Roshan Gunatileke. While the 60 th anniversary celebrations is close at hand, appointing him as chief of defense staff and causing him to retire from the Air chief Marshall post (CDS) with this object of relegating him to a position which carries no powers. This is a position which is equivalent to a post of assistant to a Defense Secretary, and is sans any powers.
According to sources within the Air Force, there had been another area also where dispute has erupted with the Lokka. A request had been made to Gunetileke to send Air fighter pilots on the sly to a friendly foreign dictator Gaddafi who is now in deep trouble following a fierce people’s rebellion against him. As the foreign dictators’s pilots have defied his orders and have left for neighboring countries with the aircrafts, this dictator has made this request from Sri Lanka, his close friend. Gunetileke in keeping with his unwavering policies, integrity and rectitude has refused absolutely to accede to this request.
He had emphatically stated, ‘ I am responsible for the lives of my valuable pilots’. It were his overriding traits oh loyalty to the country, the integrity of his nature and concern for his ‘men’ that cost him this derogation and humiliation at the hands of the defense Ministry chief, denying him even his opportunity to participate at the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Air Force as the Air Force Commander.
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