Former NDA CEO Sumaila Abdul Rahman, Three Others Convicted and Fined Over Procurement Breaches

The High Court in Tamale has found former National Development Authority (NDA) Chief Executive Officer Sumaila Abdul Rahman and three others guilty of breaching procurement procedures in a case brought against them by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

However, the court cleared the four accused persons of the corruption-related charges but upheld the counts relating to procurement violations.

The court imposed a fine of 1,000 penalty units on each convict for every count on which they were found guilty, directing that the fines for each person run concurrently.

In arriving at its decision, the court considered pleas for leniency made by defence counsel and opted for financial penalties instead of immediate imprisonment.

The court also took into account that the convicts did not benefit financially from their actions. It noted that the OSP intervened promptly to halt the payment in question, preventing a loss to the state.

The advanced ages of two of the convicts, identified in the case as A1 and A4, were also considered among the mitigating factors.

A1 was fined 1,000 penalty units on each of counts one and two. Failure to pay the fines will result in four years’ imprisonment with hard labour on each count, with the sentences running concurrently.

A2 received fines of 1,000 penalty units each on counts one, four, five and six. If the fines are not paid, A2 will serve four years’ imprisonment with hard labour on each count, with the sentences running concurrently.

A3 was fined 1,000 penalty units each on counts one and eight. Failure to pay will attract four years’ imprisonment with hard labour on each count, to run concurrently.

A4 was also fined 1,000 penalty units each on counts one and ten. In default of payment, A4 faces four years’ imprisonment with hard labour on each count, with the sentences running concurrently.

The court’s decision means the four convicts will face custodial sentences only if they fail to pay the fines imposed.