These are extracts of The Times’ editorial on Wednesday Oct 12:

“Liam Fox has many questions to answer about the role of a personal friend at the Ministry of Defence. But one aspect of this imbroglio is already clear: in his dealings in a particular part of the world, Dr Fox exceeded the bounds of his ministerial remit.

The Times newspaper reports Wednesday that Liam Fox is to face new questions over his links to Sri Lanka after it emerged that three of his trips there were funded by a mysterious trust that is not registered as a charity or a company.

Three visits to Sri Lanka, which cost about £7,500 and took place when Dr Fox was Shadow Defence Secretary, were funded by the Sri Lanka Development Trust.

“On Sri Lankan issues as you remember, I have established a Panel of Experts and they have reviewed all these situations and made many recommendations.



Sri Lanka's ambassador to Belgium, Luxemburg and the EU, Ravinatha Aryasinha, called the screening of 'Sri Lanka's Killing Fields' today an "indecent hurry" that is part of a wider "obsessive attack".

In a statement released by the embassy, Aryasinha states,

Amnesty Secretary-General Salil Shetty met with Kevin Rudd and pressed him to back calls for an independent international investigation into war crimes.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox’s friend Adam Werrity has been accused of discussing arms deals with the Sri Lankan Government, Channel 4 reported tonight.

Three ‘highly placed sources’ in Sri Lanka have independently told Channel 4 news team that Mr Werrity discussed ‘arms deals’ with a senior figure in Mahinda Rajapakse’s regime.

He was reportedly asked by the Sri Lankan official to lobby the British Government over the supply of ‘arms, security equipment and aviation parts’.

Speaking to the Indian foreign secretary, Ranjan Mathai, during his 3 day visit of Sri Lanka and the North-East, Anandasangaree of the TULF, Sitharthan of the PLOTE and Sritharan of the EPRLF, condemned the Sri Lankan government's attempt to "change the demographic pattern of the North-East".

They added that Tamils were 'highly perturbed' by the ever increasing militarisation of the North-East.

Mr. Adam Werritty, the close friend of British Defence Secretary Liam Fox whose working relationship with the minister is under investigation by the Ministry of Defence and at the centre of a media storm, was a frontman for Dr. Fox in the latter’s dealing with Sri Lanka, The Daily Telegraph newspaper revealed Monday.

A senior source at the British Foreign Office told The Times Sunday night that there had been disquiet at Defence Secretary Liam Fox’s links to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa since late last year.

Dr Fox sent a senior delegation of British naval officers to the inauguration of Rajapaksa in what the Sri Lankan regime believed was a gesture of support for his second term as President, the paper reports Monday.

In its lead editorial Monday, The Times newspaper said UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox owed the country “an explanation and an apology” for having given unparalleled official access to the Ministry of Defence and talks overseas to Adam Werrity, a close friend.

The editorial adds: