S. African Hospital Charged in Organ Trafficking

Prosecutors have charged a major South African hospital chain and its chief executive in connection with international human organ trafficking.

In a statement Thursday, Netcare's board of directors denied the charges laid a day earlier against the hospital chain and its CEO, Dr. Richard Friedland.

The case first became known in 2003. Investigators said Brazilians and eastern Europeans were flown to South Africa, where their kidneys were extracted at a Durban hospital for transplants into Israeli patients.

Netcare's board says, "Neither Netcare nor Dr. Friedland are guilty of any wrongdoing."

In April, Israeli police said they arrested six people suspected of running an illegal nationwide organ trafficking ring.