François Sandji Acquitted in Yaounde Hospital Trial

The verdict was announced by the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde on February 12, 2014.

François Xavier Sandji has been declared not guilty of embezzling equipment worth FCFA 77 million in the case pitting the State of Cameroon and the Yaounde General Hospital against him. The verdict was pronounced at the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde on February 12, 2014.

Reading the judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Mrs Siewe Yvette said the embezzlement case against François Sandji was sent to the Mfoundi High Court on September 28, 2008. On August 26, 2012 the Yaounde General Hospital filed a complaint against the company, Speedi Multiservices, headed by François Sandji for the embezzlement of kitchen equipment worth over FCFA 77 million.

The equipment was used following an agreement of August 12, 2002 linking Speedi Multiservices to the Yaounde General Hospital. The objective was to use the equipment to supply food to patients. She said following an audit by the accounts department, it was noticed that some of the kitchen equipment belonging to the Yaounde General Hospital were missing.

It happened that François Sandji was equally in charge of the kitchen of the Catholic University of Central Africa (UCAC) which has two campuses in Ekounou and Nkolbisson, respectively. From the findings, it was noticed that some of the hospital's equipments were found in the two campuses. Against the accusation, François Sandji had refuted having signed any protocol agreement with the Yaounde General Hospital.

The bone of contention was the cost of the famous ice cream kits which cost FCFA 2.6 million per kit, giving a total of FCFA 53 million for 20 kits. Ze Akam Urbain Anastase, an expert chosen from the approved list of experts by the Mfoundi Court of Appeal was called in to clarify the court on the cost of the ice cream kits allegedly misappropriated by François Sandji.

According to the expert's report, the Yaounde General Hospital did not have any accounts on the equipment embezzled by François Sandji. 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 fixed range of prices in Cameroon. As a result, there were no intentional and material elements of embezzlement. He was therefore discharged and acquitted.