Yaounde Hospital Verdict On February 12

Ze Akam Urabin Anastase, the expert chosen from the approved list of experts by the Mfoundi Court of Appeal to clarify the court on the cost of ice cream kits which cost FCFA 2.6 million per kit, giving a total of FCFA 53 million for 20 kits, allegedly misappropriated by François Sandji, has testified that the Yaounde General Hospital did not have any accounts on the equipment embezzled by François Sandji.

He made the declaration during the 12th session of the case pitting the State of Cameroon and the Yaounde General Hospital against François Xavier Sandji at the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde on Monday January 27, 2014. The report presented to the court also states that no inventory was established in the beginning of the contract with François Sandji between the Yaounde General Hospital and François Sandji concerning the embezzled equipment.

Finally the expert noted that the prices which were mentioned by the Yaounde General Hospital on the equipment which were allegedly embezzled by François Sandji are not found anywhere in any catalogue. Also at the time the Belgians supplied the equipment to the Yaounde General Hospital there was no mercurial of prices in Cameroon. Defence lawyer, barrister Abel Longa argued that the prices on the kitchen utensils allegedly mismanaged by François Sandji were chosen haphazardly. He however remains confident that justice will follow its cause.

Civil claimant, Barrister Njapdounke Kentouma said François Sandji signed a protocol agreement linking Speedi Multiservices with the Yaounde General Hospital and that protocol agreement was jointly signed with the inventory on the equipment handed over to him before the start of his contract in the kitchen of the hospital. She further said that François Sandji illegally took the equipment out of the hospital and hid them in the Catholic University of Central Africa (UCAC) which has two campuses in Ekounou and Nkolbisson.

From the findings, it was noticed that some of the hospital equipment were found in the two campuses. Countering the accusation, François Sandji refuted having signed any protocol agreement with the Yaounde General Hospital. Francois Sandji also holds that when he took over the kitchen of the hospital there was no inventory done before he started work. He said when he took over the kitchen of the Yaounde General Hospital the equipment was obsolete. The presiding judge, Mrs Justice Yvette Siewe adjourned the case to February 12, 2014 for judgement.