Charges of Corruption and Related Offences Filed Against Three NDA Officials and Private Businessman by OSP.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has recently announced charges against four individuals for corruption and related offences in connection with the Northern Development Authority (NDA) scandal. Among those charged are three officials from NDA – Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, the Chief Executive; Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations; and Patrick Seidu, Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration. Additionally, Andrew Kuundaari, the Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited, has also been charged.
According to the charge sheet, Sumaila Abdul-Rahman is accused of influencing the procurement process to unfairly benefit A&QS Consortium Limited during the award of a contract under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP). He is charged with bypassing the procurement law by approving and submitting for payment two invoices submitted by the company totalling GHC 8.3 million, which exceeds the total contract sum of GHC 5.7 million approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
Stephen Yir-eun Engmen, the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations of the NDA, is charged with influencing the procurement process to unfairly benefit A&QS Consortium Limited in the procurement of consultants by the NDA under IPEP. He is also accused of supplying a fictitious document to the Chief Executive of NDA, misrepresenting it as the executed contract between NDA and A&QS Consortium Limited, which allowed him to secure approval for two invoices submitted by the company totalling GHC 8.3 million.
Patrick Seidu, the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration at the NDA, has been charged with instructing, directing, and/or authorising the budget officer of the NDA to initiate the process for payment and thereby securing approval for the payment of two invoices submitted by A&QS Consortium Limited totalling GHC 8.3 million. He is also accused of supplying and attaching two invoices, a fictitious document which he misrepresented as the executed contract between NDA and A&QS Consortium Limited, which exceeded the total contract sum of GHC 5.7 million approved by the PPA.
Finally, Andrew Kuundaari, the Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited, is charged with conspiracy to influence the procurement process to unfairly benefit the company during the award of a procurement contract and directly or indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage for A&QS Consortium Limited in the procurement of consultants by the NDA for IPEP.
The four individuals are expected to appear before the Tamale High Court (Criminal Division) on Tuesday 31 January 2023.