Making a submission to court via letter, the Former Chief Judicial Medical Officer Ananda Samarasekara has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Additional Magistrate, claiming that two of the junior doctors who participated in the initial post mortem examination following the 2012 death of Wasim Thajudeen, were threatened by the JMO Dr. Ajith Tennakoon.
The former Chief JMO Ananda Samarasekara led the team conducting the post mortem examination of Wasim Thajudeen.
In his letter to the Magistrate, Samarasekara notes that similar threats were levelled during examinations conducted on May 17, 2012.
Furthermore, Samarasekara has stated that he was questioned by officers of the Criminal Investigations Department following the post-mortem examination.
Professor Ananda Samarasekara says that upon his retirement on June 3, 2013, he left behind all physical material that he had in his possession, in the custody of the JMO’s office, and that he is still in possession of notes taken during the post mortem examinations.
Samarasekara further stated that, while the body was exhumed as per the recent order by a team led by the current Chief JMO Ajith Tennakoon, he also claims that Tennakoon bore him ill-will as a result of certain administrative decisions taken during his tenure as Chief JMO.
Professor Ananda Samarasekara further claims in his letter that he does not expect the examinations conducted following the exhumation to be independent and impartial, since the doctor in question has personally called and attempted to level threats and exert pressure on himself and the two doctors who conducted the first post mortem examination.