High Stakes in Tamale: NDA Procurement Trial Faces Legal Uncertainty Amidst National Crisis Over OSP Powers
The Northern Development Authority (NDA) procurement scandal remains one of Ghana’s most high-profile legal and ethical cases, involving allegations of public fund manipulation and document falsification. It serves as a significant case study in public procurement oversight and the ongoing national fight against corruption.
A central element of the scandal is the alleged inflation of a consultancy contract by GHS 4.7 million. The heart of the issue lies in a contract awarded under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP).
Initially, the contract was approved for approximately GHS 5.7 million. However, allegations surfaced that the contract sum was illegally hiked to GHS 10.4 million without the necessary authorisation or justification.
The scandal extends beyond the financial discrepancy to the methods used to execute the increase. Prosecutors alleged that high-ranking officials forged documents to legitimise the inflated price. These actions reportedly included falsifying signatures, forging board approvals, and altering official records to bypass standard "Value for Money" assessments.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Ghana’s independent anti-corruption body, led the subsequent investigation. Consequently, criminal charges were filed against four key individuals:
Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, former CEO of the NDA;
Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, former Deputy CEO (Operations);
Patrick Seidu, former Deputy CEO (Finance & Administration);
Andrew Kuundaari, CEO of A&QS Consortium (the consultancy firm involved).
The scandal was exposed primarily through a whistleblower. A former Deputy CEO raised concerns regarding the discrepancies in the contract figures, which prompted the Special Prosecutor to intervene and freeze the procurement process.
The officials faced several charges, including conspiracy to corrupt a public officer regarding a procurement process, corruption by a public officer, and directly or indirectly influencing a procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage.
By 2024, legal proceedings reached a critical juncture with the acquittal of the accused. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to meet the "beyond a reasonable doubt" threshold; however, the case remains a landmark example of the OSP’s efforts to police white-collar procurement fraud in Ghana.
As of today, Thursday, April 23, 2026, the High Court (Criminal Division) in Tamale is scheduled to deliver its final judgment on this procurement scandal.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) announced earlier today that the court will finally rule on the case of The Republic v. Sumaila Abdul Rahman & 3 Others. This follows the conclusion of the defence stage and the filing of final written addresses by both the prosecution and the defence teams.
Key Milestones Leading to This Point
Prima Facie Ruling: In April 2024, the High Court dismissed a "submission of no case" filed by the accused. The judge ruled that the OSP had provided enough evidence to require the officials to open their defence.
Unsuccessful Appeals: The accused persons challenged the High Court's decision at the Court of Appeal, but their appeal was dismissed, allowing the trial to proceed to its final stages in Tamale.
Défense Conclusion: Throughout late 2024 and 2025, the four accused, Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, Stephen Yir-Eru Engmen, Patrick Seidu, and Andrew Kuundaari, presented their testimony and witnesses to refute the charges of corruption and forgery.
The judgment comes at a tense time for the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Just last week, on April 17, 2026, a separate High Court ruling in a different case reportedly raised questions about certain prosecutorial procedures of the OSP. However, the NDA trial has remained on track as a standalone prosecution under the OSP’s mandate.
The court will determine today whether the prosecution proved "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the contract was illegally inflated from GHS 5.7 million to GHS 10.4 million and whether the documents were forged.
Given the timing, the verdict is expected to be made public by the close of the day in Tamale.