Council happy over Basson's ruling

2012-01-27 21:43

Johannesburg - A ruling that cardiologist Wouter Basson still had a case to answer vindicated the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA), the body said on Friday.

Council CEO Kgosi Letlape said: "This decision recognises the council's legal mandate as a statutory body to protect the public by investigating unethical conduct of healthcare practitioners.

"We feel vindicated by the ruling and hope Basson and his legal team will co-operate to ensure that this matter is expediently concluded."

Earlier in the day, a professional conduct committee of the HPCSA granted Basson a discharge on two misconduct charges and part of a third charge against him, but ruled that the hearing on four remaining charges should continue later this year.

The committee's chairperson, Professor Jannie Hugo, said it could not be said that there was no evidence on which a reasonable man could convict Basson.

Basson is accused of having breached medical ethics while he headed the apartheid government's chemical and biological warfare programme in the 1980s and early 1990s.

- SAPA