‘Dr Death’ fights back after acquittal
The leader of apartheid South Africa’s germ warfare programme, dubbed Dr Death, today said he had no regrets and criticised police, called his prosecutors ‘‘irrational’’ and said his trial had been a huge waste of money.
Dr Wouter Basson was yesterday cleared of all 46 charges of murder, fraud and drugs charges.
He was accused of trying to create deadly bacteria and anti-fertility drugs that would only affect blacks, poisoning opponents’ clothing and stockpiling cholera, HIV and anthrax.
The alleged victims of Project Coast were to have been former President Nelson Mandela and several ANC leaders who are now high-ranking government officials.
Basson, 51, said today that he had no regrets about what he had done, saying he was simply a scientist working on ground breaking research.
Despite his criticisms of the prosecution, the cardiologist said he had always been confident he would receive a fair trial.
‘‘It seems my faith in the justice system was confirmed,’’ he said.
Jubilee South Africa, an organisation that fights for the economic rights of the developing world, said it was ‘‘a shameful day for truth and justice in post-apartheid South Africa.’’
But the doctor said the estimated £2.45 million the government spent on prosecuting and defending him would have been better spent on providing Aids medicine to South Africans.
Basson said he hopes to begin working as a doctor again as soon as possible.
As for working again as a germ warfare expert, ‘‘I will have to see how many people phone me and ask me,’’ he said.
