First witness in Peter Beale trial faces gruelling cross-examination

JOHANNESBURG - The State’s first witness against murder-accused paediatric surgeon Peter Beale has finally wrapped up his evidence, after five long days on the stand.

Beale is accused of reckless conduct, resulting in the deaths of three children he operated on.

The 76-year-old is facing three counts of murder and two of fraud.

The State alleges he was left out of pocket after falling victim to a ponzi scheme and that he undertook “unnecessary” surgeries to try and claw back the money he’d lost.

His trial kicked off on Monday, with Beale pleading not guilty.

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The State’s first witness, another paediatric surgeon, who’s identity the court ordered must be withheld, had a lengthy cross-examination.

It was a taxing cross-examination right to the end, with Beale’s counsel, Advocate Ian Green, honing in on a case involving a 10-year-old boy in his closing comments.

Beale allegedly misrepresented to the child’s parents that he had a condition called intestinal metaplasia and required surgery.

He then failed to adequately address the complications that arose during and post the operation.

Green put it to the witness though, that almost all the issues in this case actually fell within the responsibility of the anaesthetist, Dr Abdulhay Munshi, who was originally charged alongside Beale.

Munshi was shot and killed in Joburg in September 2020.

The witness by and large had to agree, except that he said it was Beale who, prior to the surgery, allegedly informed the parents that the child had a condition he actually did not.

The proceedings have now wrapped up for the day and are set to resume next week Tuesday, when a new witness will be called.