Lawyer Sylvester Isang, counsel for the four accused persons in the long-running Northern Development Authority (NDA) corruption-related case, says the defence considers the outcome fair because their clients escaped custodial sentences.
Speaking to the media after the Tamale High Court delivered its verdict, Isang said the defence respected the court’s decision to convict all four accused persons on seven of the 11 counts and fine each of them 1,000 penalty units on the respective counts.
“Once we’ve been able to avoid custodial sentence for our clients, it means that we’ve given them their best interests. And that definitely should be a good thing for us, the lawyers,” he said.
Isang explained that the corruption charges, which he said would have attracted a minimum 12-year sentence if proven, did not succeed. The court, however, convicted the accused persons on charges relating to the procurement process, for which fines were available as a punishment.
He said the judge accepted the defence’s mitigation plea and imposed fines that the accused persons could pay.
“And so the judge agreed with us following our mitigation plea. And then our clients were fined, and they are able to pay the fine,” he said.
The four convicted persons are Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, former Chief Executive of the NDA; Stephen Yir-Eru Engmen, former Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations; Patrick Seidu, former Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration; and Andrew Kuundaari, Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited.
Isang said the defence respected the court’s judgment, delivered by His Lordship Eric Ansah Ankomah after the three-year trial.
