The Laboratory Superintendent at CWM Hospital, Ravendra Prasad told the High Court today that Hospital Engineering and Consultancy Ltd, also known as Hospineer, was not the recommended bidder for the medical equipment tender by the tender evaluation committee.
Prasad took the stand in the health tender trial of former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and former Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma.
When questioned by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Laisani Tabuakuro, Prasad said Roche Diagnostics was the recommended supplier as it had met all the requirements.
He says Roche was the best among the three suppliers that made it to the final stage of the evaluation, and the committee recommended that the three biomedical analysers be purchased from the company.
He says Hospineer was not selected because the machine it proposed was a closed system, meaning the reagents required for the machine to operate could not be sourced from different suppliers.
The cross-examination is underway.
Dr Sharma is charged with two counts of abuse of office and two counts of breach of trust by a person employed in the public service.
Bainimarama is charged with one count of abuse of office.
Sayed-Khaiyum is charged with one count of abuse of office and one count of obstructing the course of justice.
