Tamale High Court concludes cross-examination in NDA procurement irregularities trial

The Criminal High Court in Tamale has completed the cross-examination of all four accused persons standing trial over alleged procurement breaches at the Northern Development Authority (NDA).

The accused — Sumaila Abdul Rahman, former CEO of the NDA; Stephen Yir-Eru Engmen, former Deputy CEO (Operations); Patrick Seidu, former Deputy CEO (Finance and Administration); and Andrew Kuundaari, CEO of ASQS Consortium Limited — are facing charges for allegedly manipulating procurement procedures to secure unfair advantages in contract awards under the government’s infrastructure development initiative.

During Thursday’s proceedings, the defence revealed that subpoenas had been issued to officials from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and the NDA to testify before the court. The case has been adjourned to November 25–26, 2025, for continuation.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) earlier intervened in the matter by blocking payment on an allegedly inflated contract and instructing the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to suspend any disbursements until the case concludes.

According to the OSP, the accused persons colluded to manipulate the procurement process in favour of ASQS Consortium Limited, leading to financial losses to the state.