Queensland , Nov 22, 2006
Darshan Malhotra
Most of the Queenslanders called Dr Death- Dr
Jayant Patel, who has
been linked to 17 patient deaths at the Bundaberg
Hospital
Dr Patel worked as director of surgery at Bundaberg
Base Hospital in south east Queensland before being
named in state parliament and fleeing to the US in
April last year.
Director of Public Prosecutions Leanne Clare of
Queensland said, warrants were issued in the Brisbane
Magistrates Court for Jayant Patel on a number of
charges, including three of manslaughter and five
of causing grievous bodily harm. The issuing of warrants
was not a public process and for legal reasons she
was unable to provide further details of the charges
until the matter reached court.
Now it is up to the federal Attorney General to assess
whether the warrant meets extradition treaty requirements.
Premier Peter Beattie of Queensland said,
"He did not know how long it would be
before Dr Patel appeared before an Australian court,
but he hoped it would not be years. I hope that this
matter will be pursued as quickly and as judiciously
and as fairly as possible. I don't know the timing
but I would hope that it wouldn't take years. He was
certain Dr Patel would receive a fair trial. There
is a very important principle here and that is it's
important to say up front that I believe if this process
is successful Jayant Patel will get a fair trial.
I believe that we will be able to find 12 independent
Queenslanders, fair-minded Queenslanders, who will
judge these cases on their merits.One of the problems
in getting to this point was securing enough medical
evidence for some of the charges. That was the big
stumbling block. The developments had also shown the
government's rejection of a dea which he previously
described as corrupt and secret by Dr Patel's former
lawyers to return him voluntarily had been right.
But it was still open to Dr Patel to return to Australia
voluntarily rather than be extradited. Federal Justice
Minister Chris Ellison said the Commonwealth was working
closely with Queensland officials on the case. Australia
and the US had a 'close' cooperative and effective
extradition relationship".
Queensland lawyer has been found guilty of professional
misconduct after he failed to disclose his client
was riddled with cancer during a $1million personal
injuries compensation claim.
Brisbane barrister Gerard Mullins - who is representing
victims of rogue Bundaberg surgeon Jayant Patel -
was fined $20,000 and publicly shamed by Queensland's
Legal Practice Tribunal for the "fraudulent deception"
he employed to secure a hefty payout for his quadriplegic
client.
This comes a day after the Queensland Director of
Public Prosecutions launched official extradition
proceedings against Dr Patel to bring him from the
US to Australia.
