Karabus in court today

Retired paediatrician Professor Cyril Karabus, 78, will make yet another court appearance in Abu Dhabi today.

The prosecution appealed his acquittal on manslaughter and fraud last month.

His lawyer, Michael Bagraim, said the legal team are "exceptionally positive" about the outcome.

"We are hoping that the prosecution asks the court whether the appeal is worthwhile and we are expecting the court to say that is not a worthwhileexercise. There is no evidence against him," said Bagraim.

The World Medical Association has since called on its members to be aware of the risks involved in working in the United Arab Emirates.

Asked whether this could affect Karabus's case, Bagraim said: "It might, but we can't stop civil society from making comments on it. This wasn't driven by him at all."

Meanwhile, Bagraim said they have had to pay an additional R200 000 to lawyers.

The bill was originally just over R1-million and this money was raised by donors from "all walks of life", because Karabus could not afford it.

"We also had to sponsor another two months of living in Abu Dhabi, which has cost us about R50000 a month."

In August, police arrested Karabus at the Dubai International Airport while he was in transit to South Africa.

In 2002, he operated on a three-year-old cancer patient while he was a locum at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre. The patient died of leukaemia. Karabus was tried and convicted in absentia in 2003. On March 21, he was found not guilty.

Yesterday, his daughter, Sarah, said the ordeal was terrible: "It is traumatic, it is sad. I don't expect anything. I have learnt not to. It is for the prosecution to tell us why they are appealing."