Sumaila Abdul Rahman and three others convicted over NDA procurement breaches

A High Court in Tamale has convicted Sumaila Abdul Rahman, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), along with two of his former deputies and a private contractor. The convictions follow seven counts of corruption and procurement breaches related to contracts under the government’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP). While the court found the individuals guilty of the charges brought by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the presiding judge opted for financial penalties rather than custodial sentences.

The other convicted individuals were identified as former Deputy CEOs Stephen Yir-Eru Engmen and Patrick Seidu, alongside a businessman, Andrew Kuundaari. The case centered on the unlawful inflation of a contract sum and other procurement irregularities within the NDA. The OSP successfully argued that the officials had bypassed established legal frameworks to influence the selection and payment processes for projects meant to alleviate poverty in northern Ghana.

In delivering the sentence, the court imposed a fine of 1,000 penalty units on each convict for every count they faced. The judge explained that the decision to waive imprisonment was based on several mitigating factors, including the advanced age of the convicts and the fact that the state did not ultimately suffer a financial loss. It was noted that the OSP's prompt intervention in the matter effectively halted the payment process before any state funds were misappropriated or illegal profits realized.

If the convicts fail to pay the mandated fines, they face a default prison sentence of four years for each count. Following the verdict, the Office of the Special Prosecutor reaffirmed its dedication to pursuing public officials who breach procurement laws. This conviction is seen as a key development in the OSP’s efforts to enforce accountability within state institutions and protect the integrity of public development funds.