The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has uncovered a staggering $280.5 million in illicit gains linked to a wide-ranging corruption scheme involving senior officials of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
The amount — $280,516,127.19 — is believed to be proceeds from a complex network of extortion, regulatory manipulation, and abuse of office by public officials.
The funds were allegedly used to acquire real estate in Ghana and abroad, establish oil marketing companies, and procure fuel haulage trucks used to unfairly compete with regulated industry players.
At a press briefing held in Accra, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng disclosed that the OSP launched a full-scale investigation into the matter in November 2024, following intelligence pointing to corruption and abuse of regulatory authority within the NPA.
Massive Asset Acquisitions Linked to Corruption
According to Mr. Agyebeng, the investigation has so far revealed that between 2022 and 2024, a network of high-ranking NPA officials exploited their positions to coerce, threaten, and extort substantial sums from licensed oil marketing companies (OMCs) and other stakeholders in the petroleum downstream sector.
“These officials used bribery, coercion and regulatory threats to collect large sums of money from businesses under their supervision,” he stated.
“The illicit proceeds were then laundered through the acquisition of apartments, residential properties, suites, and commercial fleets — including 22 fuel haulage trucks — as well as the incorporation of private OMCs.”
The illicitly formed OMCs allegedly operated in direct competition with legitimate companies that are subject to NPA regulation — creating a conflict of interest and undermining fair market conditions.
Prosecutions to Begin by End of June
Mr. Agyebeng assured the public that the OSP will file criminal charges before the end of June 2025 against the first batch of individuals implicated in the scandal.
These include NPA officials, business executives, and complicit companies.
He indicated that a follow-up press briefing will provide full details, including the identities of the accused, the nature and scope of the assets seized, and steps taken to recover state resources.
“This is a matter of national interest and the OSP is committed to ensuring that all those involved are held accountable,” Mr. Agyebeng affirmed.
Ongoing Efforts to Recover Stolen Wealth
As part of the probe, the OSP is working in collaboration with other national and international agencies to trace and recover further assets. Sources say the Special Prosecutor’s office has already secured freezing orders on several of the properties and vehicles traced so far.
The investigation into corruption at the NPA is part of the OSP’s broader crackdown on systemic graft in Ghana’s petroleum and energy sectors.
