Yaounde General Hospital Case Witness Testifies

Tarh Ambassa was at the Special Criminal Court On Sunday to strengthen the defence.

André Tarh Ambassa, former worker of François Sandji, has said that Speedi Multiservices Company took over the running of the kitchen of the Yaounde General Hospital when the hospital was going through an impasse. He said the hospital could not afford replacing the equipment that was old and obsolete.

Tarh Ambassa was testifying yesterday September 3, 2013, during the fifth hearing of the case pitting the State of Cameroon and the Yaounde General Hospital against François Sandji at the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde. The session before a panel of judges led by Mrs Justice Yvette Siewe focused on the continuation of the cross-examination of François Sandji and the examination-in-chief and cross-examination of the main defence witness.

In his interrogation, Advocate General, Didier Edjisna, sought to know if François Sandji informed that hierarchy of the Yaounde General Hospital that his company was using the equipment of the Catholic University of Central Africa to prepare meals for patients while he was in charge of the hospital's kitchen.

François Sandji said because the machines were bad, the hospital welcomed the announcement that he won the contract with the Catholic University. He said it was thanks to the adequate equipment of the Catholic University that he was able to go on with his services at the hospital and the hospital authorities were all aware. François Sandji said since the equipment at the Catholic University was clean and of good quality he preferred using them than going to grind ingredients in the market.

Asked what type of equipment was in the hospital, he said it essentially included a cold store, 50-litre gas pots, pots, frying pots, machine for washing plates, machine for producing ice blocks and a self-service machine which was bad and that he repaired at his own cost. On why the said machines were not found in the comparative inventory, François Sandji said he is accused of embezzling kitchen equipment.

When the defence witness, Tarh Ambassa mounted the witness box for examination-in-chief, defence lawyer, Barrister Abel Longa questioned on the morality of François Sandji. "For 10 years that I had worked with François Sandji, he had never been accused of embezzlement of any kind," replied the witness. He edified the court on the differences in the equipment used, adding that the equipment belonged to the Yaounde General Hospital and Speedi Multiservices.

He also said there was no initial inventory when Speedi Multi-services began the contract at the Yaounde General Hospital. For him, it was Abessolo, the head of the kitchen department, and the staff put at the disposal of Speedi Multiservices, who took the equipment of the kitchen to the Catholic University. However, he continued, François Sandji instructed that the equipment be returned to the Yaounde General Hospital when his contract with the latter was suspended. The case was adjourned to September 23 for submissions.