Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and six others are expected to appear before Criminal Division 3 of the High Court on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, to respond to serious corruption-related charges filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The OSP, in a statement released via its official Facebook page on Thursday, July 17, confirmed the court date, linking Dr. Abdul-Hamid to what it described as an elaborate extortion and money laundering operation allegedly carried out between 2022 and 2024.
According to the OSP, the former NPA boss is accused of orchestrating a scheme that siphoned a total of GHS280,516,127.19, of which GHS24 million was allegedly paid directly to him. The remaining funds, the OSP claims, were funneled through various intermediaries and laundered via three private companies.
Those named alongside Dr. Abdul-Hamid in the alleged scandal are Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bernako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquah. All seven are currently on inquiry bail pending the trial.
However, Dr. Abdul-Hamid’s legal team has firmly denied all accusations, stating that as of July 17, no formal charges had been served on their client and that he had not been arraigned before any court. They dismissed the allegations as “inconsistent” and “lacking any legal foundation.”
In a rebuttal issued by his lawyers, the defense pointed out that the initial accusations, announced by the OSP during a February 2025 press conference, involved alleged embezzlement of GHS1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) and procurement breaches. They argued that the narrative has since shifted, with the focus now on extortion and money laundering and the amount revised down to GHS280 million.
“Our client denies initiating or being involved in any extortion scheme, either directly or indirectly, and further denies receiving any personal benefit from such alleged conduct,” the legal statement said.
The lawyers also pointed to significant financial growth recorded under Dr. Abdul-Hamid’s tenure, claiming that the UPPF expanded from GHS53 million in 2021 to over GHS1.1 billion by the end of 2024. According to them, this financial performance was “a direct result of his prudent leadership and transparent management.”
“This is a man who served with utmost integrity and competence,” the statement continued. “He is fully prepared to contest any charges leveled against him and is confident that the truth will vindicate him.”
The case has sparked considerable public and political interest, given Dr. Abdul-Hamid’s prominence in Ghana’s energy sector and the sheer scale of the alleged financial infractions. The outcome of the court proceedings is expected to have far-reaching implications for accountability in the petroleum regulatory space.
