Taxpayer millions for Basson's defence

The taxpayer has spent R15-million on Wouter Basson at his disciplinary hearing before the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

And this does not take into account this year's legal wrangle involving Basson, 65, a practicing cardiologist, the costs of the criminal trial brought against him or his appearance before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Basson was found guilty of unethical conduct as a doctor by the council in 2013 and now needs to hear whether he will lose his licence to practice medicine.

Basson headed the apartheid government's chemical weapons programme, Project Coast. He designed chemicals to incapacitate people so they could be kidnapped. He also designed cyanide pills for soldiers to commit suicide and looked at ways of making black women infertile by testing drugs on chimpanzees.

The HPCSA hearing has been under way since 2008 after his acquittal in a criminal trial.

Leading international medical ethics expert Dr Stephen Miles testified that Basson had been unethical because he used his doctor's skills to cause harm, brain damage and death.

The Department of Defence confirmed to The Times that it was paying for Basson's defence.

This is because he was an employee of the department when he headed Project Coast from 1981 to 1993.

Defence spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini said: "I can confirm that the Department of Defence has been paying for the legal fees for Dr Wouter Basson on the Health Professional Council's matter since 2008 and the last bill paid was in December 2014".

"The amount thus far is just about R5 million over that period of time for the legal fees. This is for the two advocates and an attorney representing Dr Basson."

Basson is represented by lawyer Wynanda Coetzee and advocate Jaap Cilliers SC.

An insider at the HPCSA, with knowledge of the matter, said the council - which receives funding from taxpayers - had spent about R10 million on prosecuting Basson.

• He is not the only state employee who has cost the taxpayer in legal fees.

Taxpayers footed the bill for former police boss Jackie's Selebi's R17.4 million legal fees as well as President Jacob Zuma's numerous lawsuits including when a woman alleged he raped her.

When a decision was taken to drop corruption charges against Zuma, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe was quoted as saying the prosecution had spent R100m of taxpayers' money on the case. Taxpayers also paid over R10m towards Zuma's defence.