Former NDA CEO and three others fined over procurement violations

Former National Development Authority (NDA) Chief Executive Officer Sumaila Abdul Rahman and three others have been convicted of procurement breaches by the High Court in Tamale, following a prosecution by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

The court dismissed the corruption-related charges but found the four accused guilty on procurement-related counts, imposing fines of 1,000 penalty units on each person for every count on which they were convicted.

The fines are to run concurrently. However, each convict faces four years’ imprisonment with hard labour on each relevant count if they fail to pay, with the default sentences also running concurrently.

In reaching its decision, the court cited mitigating factors presented by defence lawyers and opted for financial penalties instead of immediate imprisonment.

It noted that the accused had not personally benefited from the conduct, adding that the OSP intervened in time to halt the payment and prevent financial loss to the state. The court also considered the advanced age of two of the convicts.

The penalties varied according to the counts on which each person was convicted. A1 was fined on counts one and two; A2 on counts one, four, five and six; A3 on counts one and eight; and A4 on counts one and ten.

The ruling means the four will face custodial sentences only if they fail to pay the fines imposed by the court.

Clarify the penalty units imposedTighten the court’s reasoning

Source: CNR