OSP directs prosecution of NDA CEO, deputies over GH₵10.4m scandal

The Special Prosecutor has directed the criminal prosecution of Mr Sumaila Abdul–Rahman, the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority and two of his deputies Mr Stephen Yir-eru Engmen and Mr Patrick Seidu for breaches of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

The Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited, Mr Andrew Kuundaari, will also face criminal prosecution for his role.

The two deputy CEOs of NDA, Patrick Seidu and Mr Stephen Yir-eru Engmen were recently sacked by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The Special Prosecutor in June last year commenced investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences at the NDA over a contract awarded to A&Q’s Consortium.

The contract was awarded to A&Q’s Consortium for consultancy services under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme.

The complaint was filed by a private legal practitioner, Mr Martin Luther Kpebu, who requested an investigation into the operations of NDA and the actions of its Chief Executive and Board Chairman.

The complaint alleged that NDA awarded a contract to A&QS Consortium Limited (hereafter, A&QS) on 28 January 2020 for consultancy services for the supervision of some constituencies in the Upper West Region under the IPEP for the contract sum of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GH¢5,720,000.00).

However, upon the exit of the then Acting Chief Executive who executed the contract, the contract sum was illegally increased to Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand cedis (GH¢10,400,000.00) by the removal of the page containing the original figure of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GH¢5,720,000.00) and its replacement at page 25 clause 33.1 of the contract with a fresh page containing the bloated figure of Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand cedis (GH¢10,400,000.00) to make it appear as if it is the contract executed by the previous Acting Chief Executive.

The Special Prosecutor after detailed investigations revealed in a statement that “Mr. Abdul-Rahman, Mr. Engmen, Mr. Seidu, and Mr. Kuundaari intended their actions to, and their actions did in fact, directly or indirectly influence the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage to A&QS in the procurement for consultants by NDA under the IPEP by increasing the approved procurement total contract sum of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GH¢5,720,000.00) by an amount of Four Million Six Hundred and Eighty Thousand cedis (GH¢4,680,000.00) to an amount of Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand cedis (GH¢10,400,000.00) without lawful authority.

“Mr. Abdul-Rahman, Mr. Engmen, and Mr. Seidu intended their actions to, and their actions did in fact, directly or indirectly influence the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage to A&QS in the procurement for consultants by NDA under the IPEP by pushing through and/or approving and/or contributing to approve and/or contributing to cause the approval for payment to A&QS two (2) invoices totalling Eight Million Three Hundred and Twenty- Eight Thousand cedis Eight Hundred and Forty cedis (GHC8,328,840.00) and exceeding the approved procurement total contract sum of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GH¢5,720,000.00) by an amount of Two Million Six Hundred and Eight Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty cedis (GH¢2,608,840.00) with a further outstanding amount of Two Million Seventy-One Thousand One Hundred and Sixty cedis (GH¢2,071,160.00), without lawful authority.” CNR