Cash-for-kidneys trial looms

One of South Africa’s leading hospital groups is facing court on organ trafficking charges

A MAJOR South African hospital group and its chief executive officer will appear in court next month on charges connected to an international trafficking syndicate that allegedly sold human kidneys to wealthy Israelis.

According to court papers, between 2001 and 2003 poor donors were reportedly sourced from a number of countries and flown to South Africa where their organs were removed at a Durban hospital.

Following the extraction procedure, the donor was paid thousands of dollars and their kidney was then transplanted into an awaiting Israeli.

The sale of human organs and tissue is prohibited in most countries including South Africa. However, the black market trade is said to be flourishing due to the shortage of legitimately donated organs for transplant.

Initially, the cash-for-kidney donors came from Israel and were paid $20,000 (€14,160), according to South African investigators. Later they were replaced by people from Brazil and eastern Europe, who accepted a much lower sum for their kidney – they were paid only $6,000 (€4,250).

It is believed the Israeli kidney recipients may also have paid as much as €100,000 to secure a healthy organ.

Netcare, South Africa's largest hospital group, which also runs hospitals in England, its chief executive Dr Richard Friedland, as well as 10 others were last month served with the charges relating to the alleged scam, the Times of South Africanewspaper reported.

It is alleged that Netcare made more than 22 million rand (over €2.29 million) from the illegal procedures carried out at its St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban, and that Dr Friedland was aware of the transplants. The co-accused include five senior doctors, members of the transplant unit team, and an Israeli interpreter.

The charges relate to more than 100 illegal operations and include 109 counts of fraud, 21 counts of forgery, 21 counts of uttering, 109 counts of serious assault, and charges of contravening the Human Tissues Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

Citing the charge sheet, the newspaper said that, to legitimise the operation under South African law, documents had been forged to show the recipient and donor were related.

The scandal was first uncovered in 2003. It took a further two years before a number of people allegedly involved in it were charged. These charges were dropped in 2006 by prosecutors to allow for further investigation, which included examining transplants that occurred in hospitals in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Netcare was not charged during this time.

One of the men originally charged was Ilan Perry, an Israeli who was allegedly the organiser of the organ transplant syndicate. According to the Times, Perry has now become a state witness in the new case that will be heard at Durban magistrate's court.

In a statement released after the charges were brought, Netcare’s board of directors denied any wrongdoing by the hospital chain and said it intended to contest the charges vigorously in court.

“The allegations against Netcare and Dr Friedland have been thoroughly investigated by independent attorneys and senior counsel engaged by Netcare. The board has been advised that the allegations made are unjustified and that neither Netcare nor Dr Friedland are guilty of any wrongdoing,” the firm said.