Fonseka at a news conference in Colombo, hours before his arrest. (AFP)

Colombo Feb. 8 (AP): Sri Lanka’s defeated presidential candidate was hauled from his office by military police today and will be court-martialled for allegedly planning to overthrow the government while serving as the head of the army.

Sarath Fonseka, who as the top general helped defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels, was forcibly detained after objecting to his arrest, Opposition politician Rauff Hakeem told The Associated Press.

Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa were once strong allies who combined to end the country’s 25-year civil war last May. But they subsequently fell out, and Fonseka quit his post. They contested a bitter election last month for the presidency that Rajapaksa won by 17 percentage points, according to official results.

Officials have repeatedly accused Fonseka of plotting to kill Rajapaksa and overthrow the government with the help of army deserters and former military officers since the election. Fonseka has called the allegations fabricated and vowed to push on with his political career. A number of serving officers, who the government said were considered to be a threat to national security, have been fired.

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said Fonseka would be tried in a military court on charges of conspiring against the President and planning a coup while being the army chief.

“When he was the army commander and chief of defence staff and member of the security council, he had direct contact with Opposition political parties, which under the military law can amount to conspiracy,” Rambukwella said.

“He’s been plotting against the President while in the military with the idea of overthrowing the government,” he added.

Mano Ganeshan, an Opposition lawmaker, said Fonseka was “arrested and forcibly carried away” while having a discussion with a group of political allies.

Hakeem said Fonseka objected to being arrested by military police instead of civilian officers, since he was no longer in the military.

The officers dragged Fonseka and his secretary by their hands and legs into their vehicles, Hakeem said.

“He was humiliated and disgraced in the way he was handled. We were just flabbergasted,” he said.

Since the January 26 election, Fonseka has complained that the government was attempting to arrest him on trumped-up charges. Last week, security forces raided his office and arrested at least 15 of his staff.

“We have to ask why now? Why not six months ago when he was a military officer?” asked Jehan Perera, an analyst with independent activist group, National Peace Council.

“One has to think that it is politically motivated,” Perera said, adding that there was a suspicion the motive might have been to stop him from challenging the results of the presidential election or to prevent Fonseka from leading the Opposition in the upcoming parliamentary election.

Fonseka has vowed to contest that vote, due by April. The unofficial campaign season is already well under way.