Former Sri Lankan Navy Chief, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda has sent a letter of demand to the presidential candidate and former Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka demanding 500 million rupees for making defamatory statement against him in an interview with a private television channel on the 24th of December 2009. The former Navy Chief said that the statement made by Retired General Fonseka is per se defamatory, malicious and has in fact tarnished his good name, reputation and public image, thereby causing him irreparable loss and damage. Former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka is the common candidate of the opposition parties in the forthcoming presidential polls. The letter says that damage of 500 million rupees should be paid within 14 days and in the event of failing and neglecting to pay and settle the said sum, legal action will be instituted against retired General Fonseka to recover the said sum. Relations between the former Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka and the former Sri Lankan Navy Chief, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda , who were at helm of the affairs during the Eelam war IV were not one of the best was a matter of open discussion in the media and political circles then. The former Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda was later appointed as Secretary Highways in the Sri Lankan Government. As the Naval commander during the war days, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, contributed towards the weakening of the maritime capabilities of the LTTE, largely to disable the arms smuggling network of the LTTE. <br/>