The chief executive of A&QS Consortium Limited, Mr Andrew Kundari, faces criminal charges for his role in the scam.
Earlier, President Akufo-Addo sacked two deputy CEOs of the NDA, Patrick Seidu and Stephen Yir-Eru Engmen.
In June last year, the Special Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into the operations of the NDA and the actions of its chief executive and board chairman following a formal complaint by private legal practitioner Martin Luther Kepebu.
The probe is focused on suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses in the NDA and the contract awarded to A&Q Consortium for consultancy services under the Poverty Alleviation Programme.
The complaint alleges that on 28 January 2020 NDA awarded a contract to A&QS Consortium Limited (hereinafter A&QS) for consultancy services for a contract sum of five million seven hundred and twenty thousand for monitoring certain fields in the Upper West Region under IPEP. cedis (GH¢5,720,000.00).
However, after the departure of the then Acting Chief Executive who executed the contract, the contract amount was illegally increased to Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand Cedis (GH¢10,400,000.00) by removing the page containing the original figure of Five Million Seven Hundred. Twenty Thousand Cedis (GH¢5,720,000.00) and page 25 of the Agreement in Clause 33.1 with its replacement appears as Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand Cedis (GH¢10,400,000.00) Agreement with a new page from the former Acting Chief Executive.
After due diligence, the OSP found that there was merit in the complaint against the accused officials, hence directed prosecution.
“Mr. Abdul-Rahman, Mr. Engmen, and Mr. Seedu’s actions addressed, and his actions did, in fact, directly or indirectly influence the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage for A&QS in procurement by NDA to consultants under IPEP. A&QS to approve and/or approve and/or contribute two (2) invoices totaling Eight Million Three Hundred Twenty-Eight Thousand Cedis Eight Hundred Forty Cedis (GHC8,328,840.00) and Five Million Seven Hundred Twenty Thousand Cedis (GH¢5,720,000.00) The total contract amount of collection is Two Million Six Hundred Eight Thousand Eight Hundred Forty Cedis (GH¢2,608,840.00 with further outstanding balance of Two Million) Seventy One Thousand One Hundred Sixty Cedis (GH¢2,071,160.00), without legal authority,” A part of the OSP report says.
Suspects will have their day in court to defend themselves.
