Oz: Indian-origin doctor denies manslaughter

Brisbane: An American doctor accused of repeatedly botching operations and performing surgeries he was not capable of handling pleaded not guilty today to three manslaughter charges and one of grievous bodily harm.

Jayant Patel, an Indian-born doctor, replied "not guilty, your honour" when the charges were read to him in a crowded Australian courtroom just before jury selection began in the trial that is expected to take four to six weeks and hear some 90 witnesses.

The trial comes more than 25 years after questions were first raised about his competency, and five years after a government inquiry found he may have directly contributed to patient deaths because of an unacceptable level of care at the hospital. Patel, 59, has not spoken publicly about the charges. He faces life in prison if convicted.

Wearing a dark suit, white shirt and patterned blue tie, Patel arrived to a media throng about 15 minute before the start of his trial with his wife, Kishoree, clutching his arm. Flanked by his defence team, he refused to answer questions from dozens of reporters.

Patel was originally charged with more than a dozen counts, but will only be tried on four: three counts of manslaughter and one of grievous bodily harm.

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The charges relate to four patients he treated while working as director of surgery between 2003 and 2005 at a state-run hospital in Bundaberg, a sugar industry town 370 kilometres north of Brisbane in Queensland state.