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Shamji, Mohammed Farid

CPSO#: 79177

MEMBER STATUS
Revoked: Discipline Committee as of 24 Apr 2020
CURRENT OR PAST CPSO REGISTRATION CLASS
None as of 28 Jun 2012

Summary

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Former Name: No Former Name

Gender: Male

Languages Spoken: English, French

Education: Queen's University, 2003

Practice Information

Primary Location of Practice
Practice Address Not Available

Professional Corporation Information


Corporation Name: Massicotte Tymianski Gentili Mohammadzadeh Medicine Professional Corporation
Certificate of Authorization Status: Inactive: Oct 20 2016
Corporation Name: M. F. Shamji Medicine Professional Corporation
Certificate of Authorization Status: Inactive: Nov 28 2017

Hospital Privileges

No Privileges reported.


Hospital Notices

Source:  Hospital
Active Date:  December 5, 2016
Expiry Date:  
Summary:  
On December 5, 2016, University Health Network notified the College that Dr. Mohammed Farid Shamji's privileges were suspended, effective that day.

Specialties

Specialty Issued On Type
Neurosurgery Effective:30 Jun 2011 RCPSC Specialist

Postgraduate Training

Please note: This information may not be a complete record of postgraduate training.



University of Ottawa, 01 Jul 2003 to 30 Jun 2004
PostGrad Yr 1 - Neurosurgery

University of Ottawa, 01 Jul 2004 to 30 Jun 2005
PostGrad Yr 2 - Neurosurgery

University of Ottawa, 01 Jul 2005 to 30 Jun 2006
PostGrad Yr 3 - Neurosurgery

University of Ottawa, 01 Jul 2006 to 30 Jun 2007
PostGrad Yr 3 - Neurosurgery

University of Ottawa, 01 Jul 2007 to 30 Jun 2008
PostGrad Yr 3 - Neurosurgery

University of Ottawa, 01 Jul 2008 to 30 Jun 2009
PostGrad Yr 4 - Neurosurgery

University of Ottawa, 01 Jul 2009 to 30 Jun 2010
PostGrad Yr 5 - Neurosurgery

University of Ottawa, 01 Jul 2010 to 30 Jun 2011
PostGrad Yr 6 - Neurosurgery

Registration History

Action Issue Date
First certificate of registration issued: Postgraduate Education Certificate Effective: 01 Jul 2003
Expired: Terms and conditions of certificate of registration Expiry: 30 Jun 2011
Subsequent certificate of registration Issued: Independent Practice Certificate Effective: 28 Jun 2012
Expired: Failure to Renew Membership Expiry: 10 Aug 2017
Revoked: Discipline Committee. Effective: 24 Apr 2020

Previous Hearings

Committee: Discipline
Decision Date: 24 Apr 2020
Summary:

On April 24, 2020, on the basis of agreed facts and admission, the Discipline Committee (the “Committee”) of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario found that Dr. Mohammed Farid Shamji (“Dr. Shamji”), committed an act of professional misconduct. The Committee set out its penalty and costs order with written reasons to follow.

FACTS

Dr. Shamji became a member of the College with a certificate of registration authorizing independent practice on July 3, 2003. He practised as a neurosurgeon in Toronto. Dr. Shamji is no longer a member of the College, and has not been a member since August 10, 2017.

Criminal Finding

On December 2, 2016 Dr. Shamji was arrested and charged with first degree murder of his wife, Dr. Elana Fric-Shamji. On April 8, 2019, Dr. Shamji pleaded guilty and was convicted of second-degree murder contrary to s. 235(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada. In entering a guilty plea, Dr. Shamji acknowledged facts that formed the basis of the plea and the criminal finding of guilt.

Those facts included the following:

- Dr. Shamji and the deceased, Dr. Elana Fric, married in 2004. At the time of her murder, they had three children aged 11, 8 and 3.

-In October 2016, Dr. Fric retained a divorce lawyer to move forward with divorce proceedings. Dr. Shamji was formally served with the divorce proceeding papers on Monday, November 28, 2016. On Wednesday, November 30, 2016, Dr. Fric and Dr. Shamji got into an argument in their bedroom while the children were sleeping in the family home. Their 11-year-old daughter was awakened from her sleep by sounds of her parents arguing in the next room. She heard banging, her mother scream, and then silence.

- Dr. Shamji struck Dr. Fric multiple times causing her significant blunt force injuries all over the body, including a broken neck and broken ribs, and then choked her to death. The 11-year-old went to her parents’ room to investigate.

She was ordered back to bed by her father.

- The cause of death of Dr. Fric was blunt/compressive neck injuries as a result of the choking. After he killed her, Dr. Shamji packed Dr. Fric’s body in a suitcase and drove about 35 kilometres north of the city and dumped the suitcase in the Humber River. He did not call the police.

- In the days after he killed her, Dr. Shamji carried on with his daily routine, including performing surgeries the next day. He lied about his missing wife’s whereabouts and planted evidence calculated to point the finger at somebody else and cover his own tracks.


- On Friday, December 2, 2016, Dr. Shamji was arrested by the Toronto Homicide Squad in Mississauga.

- On May 9, 2019, Dr. Shamji was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the parole ineligibility period set at 14 years. At the criminal sentencing proceeding, impact statements were received from numerous people.

- The victim impact statements included a statement from Dr. Fric’s mother, who said: “The nightmare that begin that day, December 1, 2016, when me and my husband drove overnight to Toronto, fearing for my daughter has never ended, and will never end until the day I die…For two and a half years we have to not only deal with our horrific loss, but also the children even more horrific loss….There is no penalty this court can give him that will ever justify what Mo have done to Elana and to us and to the children. He has destroyed all of our life forever.”
 
- Dr. Fric’s father stated: “It’s not possible to describe sorrow and loss I have felt for the last two and a half years. Where anger, rage has filled me, and I suspect that anger and rage will never leave me…it’s a nightmare beyond comprehension…The horror of having identify my daughter after her brutal murder when she was totally unrecognizable will haunt me forever. No parent should ever have to do that…”
 
- Her sister noted: “There will be a huge void for me in my remaining days on this earth. Often, all I do is think about Elana and I am haunted by what happened to her. I visit her grave and I am overcome by unbearable grief….Elana was stolen from her family, her friends, her children, her patients, her colleagues, but most importantly, her three children.”
- Further witness statements came from friends and colleagues and all spoke of the devastating loss they suffered, and that the effect of the that loss on them and the broader community. One friend described the children’s loss as follows: “This loss is most similar to someone who experiences war; senseless, obliterating, unfair, permanent, and filled with an anxiety, and overwhelming despair and uncertainty.”

In his reasons for sentencing, Justice McMahon noted that he was obliged to sentence Dr. Shamji to life imprisonment. and his responsibility was to set a period of time between ten and twenty-five years at which the accused could apply for parole. On the basis of a joint submission from counsel, he ordered that there be no eligibility for parole for fourteen years. He considered mitigating and aggravating circumstances.

In respect of mitigating circumstances, he noted the accused had been an important contributing member of our community, working as a neurosurgeon who saved the lives of many patients. He considered the letters of support of some of his patients and others in the community and found that his prior good character was a mitigating factor. He further noted that the family and community support behind Dr. Shamji were a positive factor when looking at rehabilitation and eventual re-integration. Justice McMahon stated: “What is most critical to me is Elana’s daughter, who was only 11 years old at the time and was scheduled to have to testify about what she saw and heard the night her father murdered her mother. The accused’s election to plead guilty has saved that young person, who is now 14, from testifying in a trial where her dad is charged with murdering her mom. I don’t think there could be a worse scenario for a young person in a courtroom.” He accepted that Dr. Shamji was remorseful.


With respect to aggravating circumstances, he noted that this was yet another case of domestic homicide, and that the victim, who wished to end the relationship, did what she was legally entitled to do, and that women or men have the right to end a relationship without having to fear abuse or death. The fact that the deceased was the victim of domestic homicide was found to be extremely aggravating, as was the fact that there had been ongoing concerns in the past about verbal and physical abuse. In discussing the life lost, and considering the victim impact statements, Justice McMahon noted “Elana Fric-Shamji from all accounts was a brilliant physician and contributor to medical policy. The victim impact statements refer to her as a rising star. A wonderful mother, daughter and friend to many. Patients were left without their doctor who they trusted. She was robbed of a wonderful life yet to be lived.”
 
Justice McMahon further noted that Dr. Fric did not die a quick and painless death. She was repeatedly struck with such force that Dr. Shamji broke her ribs and then manually strangled her by cutting off her air supply, and breaking her neck. The nature of the violence was extreme, and the nature of the killing is aggravating. It was also aggravating that she died in the home that she shared with her sleeping children and the accused - a place that a person should feel the safest. A further aggravating factor was the degradation of the deceased, in that Dr. Shamji placed her in a suitcase and dumping her in a river many kilometres from the home.

Further, there was no regret or remorse immediately after the killing. At that time, Dr. Shamji was only concerned with avoiding detection. It was a great indignity to the lifeless body of his wife, and caused additional angst and concern for those young children and the extended family and friends. His efforts to shift responsibility to another person was also an aggravating factor.

The most important aggravating factor to Justice McMahon and the greatest tragedy in his view is the impact of the accused’s violent actions on the three young children. The enormity of their loss will be felt by them for the rest of their lives.

Justice McMahon concluded that based on the facts above, a period of fourteen years for parole ineligibility was appropriate.

Admission

Dr. Shamji admitted the facts specified above, and admits that, based on these facts, he engaged in professional misconduct under clause 51(1)(a) of the Health Professions Procedural Code, in that he has been found guilty of an offence that is relevant to his suitability to practice.

FINDING

The Committee accepted as correct all of the facts set out in the Statement of Facts .

Having regard to these facts, the Committee accepted Dr. Shamji’s admission and found that he committed an act of professional misconduct under clause 51(1)(a) of the Health Professions Procedural Code, which is Schedule 2 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, in that he has been found guilty of an offence that is relevant to his suitability to practice.

PENALTY
 
The following facts were set out in an Agreed Statement of Facts on Penalty which was filed as an exhibit and presented to the Committee:

On May 9, 2019, Dr. Shamji was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the parole ineligibility period set at 14 years. A transcript of the criminal sentencing proceeding, including victim impact evidence from numerous people, as noted above, including Dr. Fric’s mother, father, sister, friends and colleagues. They spoke of the devastating loss they suffered, and that the affect of the that loss on them and the broader community.

As set out above, Justice McMahon noted that he was obliged to sentence Dr. Shamji to life imprisonment. and to set a period of time between ten and twenty-five years at which the accused could apply for parole. He reviewed aggravating and mitigating factors and concluded that based on the facts above, a period of fourteen years for parole ineligibility was appropriate.

The Discipline Committee ordered Dr. Shamji to attend before the panel to be reprimanded.

The Discipline Committee directed the Registrar to revoke Dr. Shamji’s certificate of registration effective immediately.

On June 9, 2020, the Committee released its Reasons for decision in this matter. The full decision is available for review on the College website.
 
 


Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Hearing Date(s): April 24, 2020

Concerns

Source: Other
Active Date: May 15, 2019
Expiry Date:
Summary:
FINDINGS OF GUILT

Mohammed Shamji was found guilty of the following offence:

1. Second degree murder, contrary to Section 235(1), of the Criminal Code of Canada.

DATE: April 8, 2019

SENTENCE: May 9, 2019. Life imprisonment; parole ineligibility for 14 years; DNA Order; prohibited from possessing weapons for life.

CPSO will be closed on March 29, 2024. We will re-open on Monday, April 1, 2024, at 8:00 am.