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Cuyahoga County Crime Lab Director to Resign
Media contact:
John Kohlstrand: (216) 698-2099 or jkohlstrand@cuyahogacounty.us
Nicole Dailey Jones: (216) 263-4602, (216)338-0863; ndjones@cuyahogacounty.us
CLEVELAND — Dr. Mohammad Tahir, who has served as director of the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory since August 2007, agreed to resign his position today. It had been recently reported that Dr. Tahir accepted a position with a national crime lab in Pakistan and requested an extended leave of absence from his county position.
“Dr. Tahir’s technical skills as a lab director were never in doubt,” said Dr. Thomas Gilson, the Cuyahoga County medical examiner. “While in the past, there were apparently frequent visits by Dr. Tahir to Pakistan while maintaining his county position, we see no reason to continue this practice.”
County Inspector General Nailah Byrd is continuing her investigation of Dr. Tahir's past consulting work, as well as the county's arrangement with the Pakistani government.
Lab management staff in the County’s crime lab will report directly to Dr. Gilson, who is board certified in clinical pathology/laboratory medicine and who will be the acting lab director.
“Our laboratory staff are highly qualified and experienced forensic scientists,” Dr. Gilson. “There is no reason to expect any interruption of services or diminution of quality of work.”
John Kohlstrand: (216) 698-2099 or jkohlstrand@cuyahogacounty.us
Nicole Dailey Jones: (216) 263-4602, (216)338-0863; ndjones@cuyahogacounty.us
CLEVELAND — Dr. Mohammad Tahir, who has served as director of the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory since August 2007, agreed to resign his position today. It had been recently reported that Dr. Tahir accepted a position with a national crime lab in Pakistan and requested an extended leave of absence from his county position.
“Dr. Tahir’s technical skills as a lab director were never in doubt,” said Dr. Thomas Gilson, the Cuyahoga County medical examiner. “While in the past, there were apparently frequent visits by Dr. Tahir to Pakistan while maintaining his county position, we see no reason to continue this practice.”
County Inspector General Nailah Byrd is continuing her investigation of Dr. Tahir's past consulting work, as well as the county's arrangement with the Pakistani government.
Lab management staff in the County’s crime lab will report directly to Dr. Gilson, who is board certified in clinical pathology/laboratory medicine and who will be the acting lab director.
“Our laboratory staff are highly qualified and experienced forensic scientists,” Dr. Gilson. “There is no reason to expect any interruption of services or diminution of quality of work.”
