ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates: An appeals court in Abu Dhabi yesterday has cleared a South African pediatric oncologist of manslaughter charges in the death of a 3-year-old leukemia patient more than a decade ago — a case that caused a diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Cyril Karabus was held in the United Arab Emirates since his arrest in Dubai last August while in transit from Canada to South Africa.

The 78-year-old Karabus said he returned to South Africa after the child's death in 2002 and was unaware of the charges pending against him, including claims he had failed to give the girl a crucial blood transfusion. A medical committee earlier cleared him of any wrongdoing.

The Abu Dhabi-based daily The National says prosecutors have a month to file an appeal on yesterday's court ruling.