Dr Sameera Senaratne has been temporarily relieved of duties as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAITM and Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital with immediate effect.
“We refer to the recent media reports concerning a police investigation into the purported incidents that had allegedly taken place on February 6, 2017.”
“In order to ensure absolute transparency and facilitate the police investigations, the Management of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) announces that Dr. Sameera Senaratne has been temporarily relieved of duties as Chief Executive Officer of SAITM and The Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH) with immediate effect,” the SAITM chairman said.
Dr. Senaratne too notified the management in writing that he has stepped down from his post effective today, Dr Neville Fernando said in a statement.
The Management categorically stated that neither SAITM nor NFTH is associated with the reported incident and have no nexus to any private incidents/issues of any of their employees.
The Management of SAITM will commence internal inquiries and will be taking appropriate and necessary action to ascertain the truth of this alleged incident, he said.
Earlier today, a police statement said that investigations uncovered that the recent shooting carried out targeting the CEO of South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) was staged in order to falsely portray a threat to his life.
It was reported that a certain individual had fired several shots at the vehicle of the SAITM CEO in the Mulleriyawa area on February 02, 2017.
The Colombo Organised Crimes Division had launched an investigation into the incident and arrested a suspect from Embilipitiya in connection to the incident along with a 9mm Browning handgun and two bullets, a 3.8mm revolver with three bullets and a motorcycle believed to have been used to carry out the shooting.
Following interrogations, the suspect was produced at the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court on February 27 while he has been remanded till March 13, the Police Headquarters said today. Police officers have also questioned a former STF soldier, who is suspected to be connected to the incident and is currently in remand custody for a different crime.
Investigations carried out so far have uncovered that the shooting incident was staged with the intention of falsely portraying a threat to the life of Dr Sameera Senaratne, the statement said.
Meanwhile police have commenced investigations to apprehend a former Pradeshiya Sabha member, who is suspected of orchestrating the shooting, as well as a driver of a local government institution.
According to police, both individuals have fled the area and are currently in hiding.
