The trial of Peter Beale, a murder-accused paediatric surgeon, has reached a critical stage as the State’s first witness concluded his testimony after five gruelling days on the stand. Beale is facing charges of reckless conduct that resulted in the deaths of three children he operated on, as well as two counts of fraud.
The prosecution alleges that Beale performed “unnecessary” surgeries in an attempt to recoup funds lost in a Ponzi scheme. During the cross-examination, Beale’s defence counsel, Advocate Ian Green, focused on a specific case involving a 10-year-old boy.
Beale allegedly misled the child’s parents by falsely diagnosing him with a condition called intestinal metaplasia, leading to unnecessary surgery.
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The witness, another paediatric surgeon whose identity has been withheld, acknowledged that the majority of the issues in this case fell under the responsibility of the anaesthetist, Dr Abdulhay Munshi, who was originally charged alongside Beale. Tragically, Dr Munshi was shot and killed in Johannesburg in September 2020.
While the witness agreed that Dr Munshi bore significant responsibility, he maintained that Beale had informed the parents about the false condition before the surgery. The day’s proceedings have concluded, and the trial will resume next week on Tuesday with a new witness set to take the stand.
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