National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader MP Wimal Weerawansa has denied having accused Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen of the Kurunegala Hospital of forced sterilization of women. 

MP Weerawansa clarified that he had only called for an investigation raising concerns on the matter as a public representative.

“We never raised allegations against Dr. Shafi. It was the then Hospital Director and some mothers being treated at the hospital who levelled allegations. The mothers made complaints to the Hospital Director who thereafter, filed an official complaint. Dr. Shafi was arrested based on the  Hospital Director’s complaint,” the MP said. 

MP Weerawansa revealed that as public representatives he and his team had visited the hospital to find out the truth about the allegations, adding “We enquired from the Hospital Director and the concerned mothers in this regard.” 

The NFF Leader went on to note that based on the statements of the Hospital Director and the concerned mothers, he had made a statement to the media calling for a comprehensive investigation into the matter. 

“We have no right to conclude whether the doctor was guilty or not. We are not specialists. We only have the right as public representatives, to investigate claims made by official authorities,” he explained. 

Stating that investigations into the forced sterilization matter have not concluded, MP Weerawansa added that it is still unsure whether the allegations are true or not, while Dr. Shafi has also been re-instated at the hospital. 

MP Wimal Weerawansa made the statements during a recent television talk show, responding to questions raised on his actions at the time the allegations were raised against Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen.

In 2019, Dr. Sihabdeen was sent on compulsory leave and was arrested over allegations of the alleged sterilization of women without their consent. He was also accused of having amassed wealth illegally and maintaining links with a terrorist organization.

Dr. Shafi Sihabdeen was released on bail by the Kurunegala Chief Magistrate after the Criminal Investigation Department informed the Court that investigations carried out so far had not proven any of the allegations. (Newswire)

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Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen addressing media for the first time since his controversial arrest, said that expectant mothers who levelled charges against him have now sought his forgiveness.

“Some mothers, during their caesarean surgery have asked for my forgiveness, saying that they had lodged complaints against me,” Dr. Shihabdeen said.

Following a misleading newspaper report published in 2019, Dr. Shihabdeen who was serving at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, was arrested over the alleged sterilization of women without their consent.

He recalled that during his imprisonment Dr. Shihabdeen shared a cell with infamous drug kingpin Makandure Madush. “I shared meals with him, and slept beside him. The humanity I saw in him, I don’t see in those Parliamentarians who are dressed in white,” he said.

Dr. Shihabdeen went on to divulge some details of his harrowing experience for the first time, stating that some members of his own profession let him down, naming the former President of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Dr. Anurudda Padeniya as one of them.

“In any profession, there are individuals who will do anything if it benefits them. Honestly, this character called Padeniya was the President of the GMOA at the time and remained silent on this issue. However that may be, I’d like to reveal that his second child was delivered by this Dr. Shafi,” he said.

“The medical profession is likened to divnity by the common man, but that same profession was used to deliver me to the demons. We don’t need a generation like this, we don’t need these bad memories. Let’s get together to develop a spiritually rich country,” he added. (Newswire)

The mothers who accused me that day are now asking me to forgive them after surgery – Dr. Shafi Shahabdeen reveals his experience in the media for the first time. #Lka pic.twitter.com/Jb2h5IbYFV

— Manjula Basnayake (@BasnayakeM) May 22, 2024

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The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has declared as null a Fundamental Rights Petition that was filed by Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital.

Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen had filed the petition seeking the court to issue an order that his arrest and detention by the Police were a violation of the law.

Following long deliberation of the matter, the three-judge Supreme Court bench declared the petition null yesterday (May 16). 

Speaking in open court, however, the three-judge bench chaired by Justice Malalgoda pointed out that two weeks after the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, large sums of money were transferred to and from the petitioner’s bank accounts, as per the statements obtained from the relevant banks.

Thus, they noted that the arrest was therefore not illegal on any account, as it was made pertaining to the ongoing investigations into the series of bomb attacks at the time.

Justice Malalgoda further noted that Dr. Shafi had not provided sufficient details as to where the money in question came from when he was questioned by the police prior to his arrest, thereby adding that the court cannot interfere with police investigations.

Thus, upon presentation of several other facts to the court in this regard, the Supreme Court dismissed the FR petition filed by Dr. Shafi.

In May 2019, Dr. Sihabdeen was sent on compulsory leave after being accused of performing illegal sterilization operations at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital.

He was arrested over allegations of the alleged sterilization of women without their consent. 

Dr. Sihabdeen was also accused of having amassed wealth in an illegal manner and maintaining links with a terrorist organization. He was later released from the case.

The Attorney General’s Department also dropped all charges against him relating to the allegations about sterilisation. (NewsWire)

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