About 137 contactors within the Tamale Metropolis are counting their losses after reportedly sinking several thousands of Ghana Cedis into the building of water closet (WC) toilet facilities at various locations in the city, which is turning out to be a scam. The award of the projects, sources told DAILY GUIDE, was done by one Dr. J.A. Norman, Country Director of Rural Integrated Development Agency (RIDA), who doubles as the accountant of the organization. He was arrested, arraigned and remanded by the Tamale Circuit court. Contractors alleged that they paid between GH¢1,500 and GH¢2,000 as bribes to Dr. Norman before they were offered the job. They were also made to believe from authorities of RIDA that the projects were World Bank funded. Upon the award of the contracts, valued between GH¢35,000 and GH¢50,000 depending on the size of the project, it was agreed that contractors be paid 20 percent at the substructure level, 50 percent at the super structure and the remaining 30 percent on completion. This agreement, according to the angry contractors, however fell through, as Dr. Norman reportedly failed to honour his part of the deal and kept postponing dates for the payments due the contractors. Others claimed he presented them with post-dated cheques, only to be declared as dud once on presentation at the banks; but he kept assuring them he was determined to pay them their money. The contractors told DAILY GUIDE that they started doubting the authenticity of the projects and the claim that they were funded by the World Bank. This suspicion was given some credence when the said Dr. J.A. Norman started playing hide-and-seek with them, each time they visited the premises of his organization to demand their monies for the work done. Some disillusioned contractors besieged his office and threatened bloodshed if he failed to pay them their monies, as stated in the contractual agreement he signed with them. Shaibu Mohammed, spokesperson for the contractors, told DAILY GUIDE it had finally dawned on them that they had been led into a scam. Mr. Shaibu threatened that they would lock up the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly offices for partnering Dr. J.A Norman to dupe them with awards of non-existent contracts. They accused the assembly of allegedly recommending Dr. Norman as a trusted business tycoon and a cadre, who was invited to help the assembly boost its sanitation drive through the construction of KVIP toilet facilities. Several complaints lodged at the Tamale Regional Police Command led to Dr Norman’s arrest. When DAILY GUIDE caught up with him while giving his caution statement, he blatantly denied the claim of the contractors, saying almost all of them failed to execute the job, according to the specifications of his outfit. He said he was only aware of one bounced cheque, and not many, as claimed by sections of the contractors, indicating that he even assisted some of them from his personal account. According to him, he was in partnership with four other international organizations and was yet to receive funding from them to enable him settle the contractors, wondering why they were impatient. Sources however told DAILY GUIDE that the suspect had in similar instances allegedly duped several persons under the guise of giving them contracts in Accra and was being sought for by his victims. The aggrieved contractors alleged that he had more than 16 cell phone numbers- reasons for which he was able to outsmart his victims. At the time this reporter was leaving the premises of the Regional Police Headquarters, a car dealer based in Accra had arrived to lodge a complaint against Dr. Norman. He disclosed to DAILY GUIDE that the suspect had bought a vehicle from him at GH¢16,000 and promised to pay him within a month but went into hiding. Another group of persons also from Accra came to claim money for dozens of water closet toilet seats he bought from them and failed to pay. Dr. Norman, as a result of the numerous complaints, was therefore put before a Tamale District Court and charged with defrauding by false pretence. Justice Adu Ampema, a High Court Judge sitting as an additional Circuit Court Judge, remanded him into prison custody to reappear on 15th June 2010. Source: Daily Guide