Former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine others have pleaded not guilty to a total of 25 counts, including conspiracy to extort, extortion, using public office for profit, and money laundering.
The charges were brought by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in connection with an alleged extortion scheme involving over GH¢280 million from oil marketing companies and bulk oil transporters.
The Financial and Economic Division of the Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, admitted the accused persons to bail following their appearance on Wednesday, July 23. Dr Abdul-Hamid (A1), Jacob Kwamina Amuah (A2), Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF), and Wendy Newman (A3), a staff member of NPA, were each granted bail in the sum of GH¢2 million with two sureties to be justified.
One surety must be a public servant earning not less than GH¢5,000 monthly, while the other must provide proof of ownership of landed property. They are to report to the case investigator every two weeks.
Four other individuals—Albert Ankrah (A4), Isaac Mensah (A5), Bright Bediako-Mensah (A6), and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah (A7)—were each granted bail in the sum of GH¢2 million with three sureties to be justified.
One surety must be a public servant earning not less than GH¢2,000 and must submit documents for landed property. They are also required to report to the case investigator every fortnight.
Three companies—Propnest Limited (A8), Kel Logistics Limited (A9), and Kings Energy Limited (A10)—were also charged alongside the individuals and are accused of facilitating the laundering of the allegedly extorted funds.
The OSP told the court that investigations revealed a scheme allegedly masterminded by Dr Abdul-Hamid during his tenure as NPA Chief Executive.
According to the prosecution, the scheme began in 2022 and was carried out under the pretense of regulatory activity, during which GH¢280,516,127.19 was unlawfully collected from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies.
It was alleged that Dr Abdul-Hamid brought the idea to Amuah, who then recruited Newman to channel the funds.
The prosecution contends that Amuah paid GH¢24 million directly to Dr Abdul-Hamid between January and December 2024. An additional GH¢227 million was said to have been disbursed through Newman at Amuah’s instruction.
The OSP further claims that Ankrah, Mensah, Bediako-Mensah, Acquaah, and a fugitive named Osei Tutu Adjei established and operated the three accused companies as vehicles to launder the proceeds of the alleged criminal operation.
The funds were allegedly used to finance the construction and acquisition of homes, the purchase of trucks for oil distribution, and the development of fuel stations.
During proceedings, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, said the prosecution was not opposed to bail but warned that the first and second accused posed a flight risk.
Counsel for Dr Abdul-Hamid, Paul Abariga, disagreed, arguing that his client had consistently complied with all bail conditions set by the OSP, including voluntarily surrendering his passport when required.
He urged the court to impose bail terms that could be executed without delay.
Gregory Asiedu, counsel for the second and third accused, also assured the court that his clients had no intention of fleeing and would cooperate fully with the trial process.
Abariga raised objections to parts of the prosecution’s address, criticising what he described as the introduction of language not captured in the fact sheet.
He argued that phrases like “the evidence will establish” and “criminal extortion scheme” constituted embellishments and were not part of the officially filed facts.
The court directed the prosecution to file all disclosures within one month. Following that, the OSP is to file witness statements for all individuals they intend to call.
The accused are required to file the names and addresses of all persons they intend to call as witnesses in the event that a prima facie case is established. If any accused intends to raise an alibi, they must file the necessary notice with the court registry.
The matter has been adjourned to August 26, when the next hearing will be held virtually.
