Alleged Corruption at Northern Development Authority: OSP to release outcome in due course

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) says it has concluded investigations into corruption-related allegations at the Northern Development Authority.

This is contained in a half-year report issued by the OSP.

According to the OSP, the release of the report is in pursuance of section 3(3) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).

The 13-page report offers an insight into the corruption cases investigated and prosecuted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the highlights of activities undertaken by the Office between 1 August 2022 and 31 December 2022.

The report signed by the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, lists two cases as having been concluded. One of them is investigation into corruption-related offences in respect of a contract awarded by the Northern Development Authority.

“The Office has concluded an investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of a contract awarded by the Northern Development Authority to A&QS Consortium Limited for consultancy services under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), especially in respect of the quantum of the contract sum,”  a part of the report read.

It noted that, “The Special Prosecutor or an authorised officer will issue directives and further action on the matter in due course.”

It would be recalled that in July 2022, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) warned that it will prosecute all persons found culpable in alleged offences regarding the award of a contract by the Northern Development Authority (NDA).

In a statement issued, the OSP said it started investigations into the alleged ¢10 million signature forgery case on June 30.

Mr. Kissi Agyebeng’s office was petitioned by a private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu to investigate accusations of irregularities at the NDA.

This follows a former NDA CEO’s petition to the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, over a fraud issue involving his successor.

Dr Sulemana Anamzoya, in the petition, accused his successor, Sumaila Abdul Rahman, of falsifying figures and forging his signature to cash in a ¢10,400,000 contract.

Mr. Martin Kpebu’s petition called on the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng to launch a full-blown investigation into the development.

“In the circumstances, kindly investigate the cases presented above in accordance with your mandate as by law stipulated in the Office of Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) to save mother Ghana the millions of Ghana Cedis we risk losing,” he said in his petition.