Sumaila Abdul-Rahman fined GH₵84,000 over NDA procurement breaches

The Tamale High Court has convicted Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), and three other officials for their roles in procurement-related offences. Each of the four convicts was ordered to pay a fine of GH₵84,000 or face a four-year prison sentence. The charges, totaling seven counts, centered on the unlawful manipulation of procurement processes for contracts under the government’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP).

According to the court proceedings, the convictions followed an investigation into the inflation of contract sums and the approval of unauthorized payments. The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) launched the probe after receiving a complaint about corrupt practices within the NDA. The investigation revealed that Abdul-Rahman and his colleagues had improperly influenced the selection of contractors and the financial terms of projects intended to alleviate poverty in northern Ghana.

In determining the sentence, the presiding judge opted for financial penalties rather than custodial terms. The court cited the advanced age of the convicts and the fact that the state did not suffer an actual financial loss as the primary reasons for leniency. This outcome was largely attributed to the prompt intervention of the OSP, which halted the suspicious transactions before the inflated payments could be fully processed.

This ruling represents a successful prosecution by the OSP in its effort to enforce accountability within state development agencies. The case highlights the legal risks associated with breaching the Public Procurement Act, even when regulatory oversight prevents the final disbursement of funds. The convicts are expected to pay the 1,000 penalty units per count immediately to avoid incarceration.