The Office of the Special Prosecutor has filed legal expenses associated to procurement breaches totalling GH¢10,400,000,00 involving the previous Chief Executive of the Northern Development Authority (NDA) and three others on the Tamale High Court, Criminal Division.
They are Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, 56, Stephen Yir-Egu Engmales, 50, Deputy Chief Executive in control of Operations, NDA; Patrick Seidu, 50, Deputy NDA in control of Finance and Andrew Kuundaari, 65, the Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited, 2019-2022.
The Special Prosecutor, Mr Kissi Agyabeng, who signed the writ stated the 4 acted along with a standard objective, of immediately or not directly influencing the procurement course of to acquire an unfair benefit for A&QS Consortium Limited within the award to A&QS Consortium Limited of a procurement contract by NDA underneath the implementation of the Infraconstruction for Poverty (*3*) Programme (IPEP), to improve, with out lawful authority, the whole contract sum of GH¢5,720,000.00 accepted by Public Procurement Authority to an quantity of GH¢10,400,000,000.
Together, the accused had been slapped with six counts of conspiracy to commit crime; to wit immediately or not directly influencing the procurement course of to acquire an unfair benefit within the award of a procurement contract, opposite to part 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and part 92(2) (b) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).
The details in accordance to the SP are that Mr Abdul-Rahman used his place because the Chief Executive of the NDA between February 2022 and May 2022, immediately or not directly influenced the procurement professionalcess to acquire an unfair benefit for A&QS Consortium Limited within the award to A&QS Consortium Limited of a procurement contract by Northern Development Authority underneath the implementation of the Infrastructure for Poverty (*3*) Programme (IPEP), by pushing by means of, approving, and submitting for fee, with out lawful authority, two invoices submitted by A&QS Consortium Limited totalling GH¢8,328,840.00), an quantity which exceeds the whole contract sum of GH¢5,720,000.00) accepted by Public Procurement Authority by an quantity of (GH¢2,608,840.00).
He stated Mr Abdul Rahman conspired along with Mr Kuundaari, the Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited, Yir-Eru Engmen, Deputy Chief Executive in control of Operations, NDA, Seidu, Deputy Chief Executive in control of Finance and Administration, NDA to improve, with out lawful authority, the whole contract sum of GH¢5,720,000.00 accepted by Public Procurement Authority to an quantity of GH¢10,400,000.00.
The SP stated Yir-Eru Engmen used his place as Deputy Chief Executive of accepting, with out lawful authority, on behalf of Northern Development Authority, a suggestion from A&QS Consortium Limited for consultancy providers for the design and supervision of building infrastructure works and engineering providers, at a time when no approval had been searched for by Northern Development Authority and no approval had been granted by Public Procurement Authority for the procurement of A&QS Consortium Limited.
He stated Mr Yir-Eru Engmen used his place as Deputy Chief of NDA between May-June 2020 to provide to the Chief Executive of NDA a fictitious doc which he misrepresented and handed off because the contract executed between NDA and A&QS Consortium Limited and which states the whole contract sum as GH¢10,400,000.00, an quantity which exceeds the whole contract sum of GH¢5,720,000.00) accepted by Public Procurement Authority by an quantity of GH¢4,680,000.00, and thereby securing approval for fee, two invoices submitted by A&QS Consortium Limited totaling GH¢8,328,840.00), an quantity which exceeds the whole contract sum of GH¢5,720,000.00) accepted by Public Procurement Authority by an quantity of GH¢2,608,840.00.
The SP acknowledged that Mr Yir-Eru Engmen influenced the procurement course of to acquire an unfair benefit for A&QS Consortium Limited within the procurement of consultants by Northern Development Authority for the implementation of the Infrastructure for Poverty (*3*) Programme (IPEP).
He stated Mr Seidu used his position as Deputy Chief Executive in control of Finance to instruct, direct and/or authorise the funds officer of NDA, with out lawful authority, to provoke the method for fee and thereby securing approval for the fee of two invoices submitted by A&QS Consortium Limited totalling GH¢8,328,840.00, an quantity which exceeds the whole contract sum of GH¢5,720,000.00 accepted by Public Procurement Authority by an quantity of GH¢2,608,840.00.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
Source: www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh
