The Kaduwela Magistrate yesterday remanded WPC member Hector Bethmage, produced in Court in connection with a shooting incident on April 11, till May 25.

Earlier, the Nawagamuwa police declined to arrest Bethmage, wanted in connection with a shooting incident in its area in the run up to the recently concluded WPC polls, on the basis that the Talangama police should make the arrest as the suspect lived in Talangama.

Bethmage, a former minister of the WPC, had allegedly shot Dinesh Pushpakumara, a supporter of a rival UPFA candidate, with a revolver issued by the government on April 11 at Nawagamuwa in the Nugegoda police division. After the incident, Bethmage had walked in to Nawagamuwa police and handed over the revolver and several rounds of ammunition....

Well informed sources said that the police had allowed the politician and his supporters to leave the police station.

The sources pointed out that Kaduwela Magistrate Ms. Sujatha Alahapperuma, had directed Nawagamuwa police to produce Bethmage before her on Monday (May 11). Both Nawagamuwa and Talangama police areas come under the purview of SSP Nugegoda.

The sources said that the Magisterial directive was given on May 6 on the basis that the incident in which Pushpakumara received injuries to his groin took place in the Nawagamuwa police area.

Despite being wanted by the police, the suspect had visited the Presidential Secretariat last Monday (May 4) to take oaths as a member of the WPC before President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But he missed the inauguration ceremony of Prasanna Ranatunga as the Chief Minister of the WPC last Thursday (7).

Bethmage had held the Lands and Agriculture, Small Irrigation, Animal Production and Animal Health and Tourism portfolios in the previous council. (SF)