Clinic ‘unknown’ to landlord

Press, 31 December 1982, Page 14

Clinic ‘unknown’ to landlord

NZPA Los Angeles The former boyfriend of the actress, Jacqueline Bisset, has testified that he knew of no medical laboratory in the fashionable Los Angeles home he once rented to Vlastimil Milan Brych.

Victor Drai, a film producer. was in the witness-box as the Los Angeles Superior Court trial of Brych. aged 43, continued in its seventh week. Brych is accused of defrauding cancer and arthritis patients two years ago.

According to earlier testimony given by an orthopaedist. Dr Robert Metcalf. Brych claimed to have run a medical facility on the second floor of his home which was used in connection with his special cancer treatment.

Dr Metcalf also testified that Brych maintained he had treated Miss Bisset for ovarian cancer.

However, in a day-long session giving evidence, Mr Drai said that the only rooms on the upper floor of the house were bedrooms, and he mentioned no illness of Miss Bisset.

Mr Drai, aged 35, said he

and Miss Bisset bought the house in 1979 from Brian Wilson of the rock group, the Beach Boys, for investment purposes and carried out additions which doubled the size of the house to 3300 sq. m. Mr Drai said a real estate broker later introduced him to Brych. “I was amazed because the broker said that this was a man who could cure cancer." Mr Drai said. Mr Drai said he concluded an agreement with Brych in May, 1980, to rent the house with an option to buy. Before moving in the next month, Brych asked for and was granted the construction of a bar and some bookshelves, Mr Drai said. Miss Bisset, whose movie roles include “Bullitt,” and “Inphon’’ co-starring with actors such as Steve McQueen and Gregory Peck, regularly visited the Brych residence with him, Mr Drai said.

According to Mr Drai. t Brych revealed during sev- y eral informal conversations that his cancer cure was 80 ■ per cent successful and that ' he was a potential candidate •> .to win the Nobel Prize. When questioned about his background. Brych said he • had worked in Eastern Euro-; pean countries and Australia.» Mr Drai said- ? Brych also said that the < late Dr Warren Hastings, of - Australia, was the only other person in the world who ? could similarly detect cancer by analysing blood samples., Mr Drai said. * Brych asserted that drug y companies and Californian medical authorities both con- ? spired to suppress his)• methods in the way traditional doctors first objected ?- to the use of penicillin. A disagreement later developed between tenant and ■ landlord which forced the * cancellation of the rental »- agreement, Mr Drai said. <