High court dismisses Dr Death’s request

An application by the controversial apartheid era doctor‚ Wouter Basson‚ to have two Health Professional Council of South Africa members recused from the committee deciding his sentence for unethical conduct was on Friday dismissed buy the Gauteng North High Court in Pretoria.

Basson‚ dubbed "Doctor Death"‚ was the head of the apartheid government’s chemical and biological warfare programme‚ Project Coast. He was found guilty of unethical conduct by a HPCSA tribunal in December 2013.

• Wouter Basson in court to appeal HPCSA rulingApartheid-era chemical warfare expert Dr Wouter Basson is expected to appeal an HPCSA ruling, at the High Court in Pretoria, that found him guilty on all charges relating to his professional conduct as a head doctor during apartheid.

Acts he was found to have committed included the production of deadly drugs and other substances to be used against “enemies” of the apartheid state‚ providing substances to tranquilise victims of cross-border kidnapping‚ and providing cyanide-filled suicide capsules for members of special units.

• Judgement reserved in Dr Death HPCSA appealJudgment was reserved in cardiologist Dr Wouter Basson's review application to set aside a decision by two members of the HPCSA's professional conduct committee not to recuse themselves from the proceedings against him.

His sentencing hearing started in 2014‚ but was interrupted by his application calling for the council’s chairperson‚ Jannie Hugo‚ and another committee member‚ Eddie Mhlanga‚ to be recused from the case.

Basson claimed that Hugo and Mhlanga were not objective in their handling of his case.

• Wouter ‘Dr Death’ Basson challenges tribunal's partialityEx-apartheid chemical warfare expert dubbed “Dr Death”‚ Wouter Basson‚ has accused the Health Professions Council of SA's tribunal that found him guilty of unethical conduct of being biased.

The pair were members of the South African Medical Association‚ and Basson and his lawyers claimed they were biased because the association had publicly expressed dismay at his conduct during apartheid.

On Friday‚ the court ruled that Basson had to exhaust the Health Profession Council’s appeals procedures to challenge its decisions.

- TMG Digital