
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has charged the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine others, including senior officials of the Authority and directors of associated companies, over an alleged multi-million cedi extortion and corruption scandal.
According to the charge sheet filed before the High Court in Accra on October 17, 2025, Dr. Abdul-Hamid and his co-accused are alleged to have conspired to extort more than GH¢291.5 million and US$332,407.47 from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies under the pretext of official duties between 2022 and 2024.
The accused persons include Jacob Kwamina Amuah, then Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF); Wendy Newman, an NPA audit staff; Albert Ankrah; Isaac Mensah; Bright Bediako-Mensah; Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah; and three companies — Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited — allegedly used to launder the proceeds.
The charges, which total 54 in all, include conspiracy to commit extortion by a public officer, rxtortion by a public officer, using public office for profit, contrary to section 179C(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and money laundry.
In one of the charges, Dr. Abdul-Hamid is accused of using his position as CEO of NPA and Chairperson of the UPPF Management Committee to unlawfully obtain GH¢24 million between January and December 2024 through his subordinate, Jacob Amuah.
He is also alleged to have personally received GH¢230,000 from J.K. Horgle Transport and Company Limited, a petroleum haulage firm, between July 2022 and March 2023.
Mr. Amuah and Ms. Newman are further accused of jointly collecting GH¢291,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47 from industry players “under the colour of office” and distributing portions of the funds among themselves and other collaborators.
How the Scheme Worked
Investigations by the OSP reportedly uncovered that Dr. Abdul-Hamid, as head of the NPA, devised the extortion scheme and enlisted Amuah, who in turn brought in Wendy Newman to act as a financial conduit.
Between 2022 and 2024, they allegedly received unlawful payments from oil marketing companies and bulk transporters in exchange for administrative clearances and regulatory favours.
The OSP said part of the illicit proceeds — about GH¢227 million and US$17,207.47 — passed through Ms. Newman’s accounts on the instructions of Amuah, who then remitted portions to Dr. Abdul-Hamid.
The remaining funds were laundered through the three corporate entities — Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited — established and operated by Amuah, Newman, and other directors, including Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah.
These companies, according to the prosecution, were used to purchase land, construct houses, acquire fuel tankers, and build fuel stations — all aimed at concealing the illicit origin of the funds.
One of the alleged accomplices, Osei Tutu Adjei, a director of Kings Energy Limited, is currently at large.
The Next Step
Dr. Abdul-Hamid, 54, was appointed CEO of the NPA on July 1, 2021, after serving as Minister for Information and Inner-Cities Development and Zongo Minister. The OSP opened investigations into the NPA in late 2024 over suspected corruption and extortion in the petroleum sector.
All ten accused persons are expected to appear before the High Court in Accra for their plea to be taken in the coming days.
The case marks one of the largest corruption prosecutions initiated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor since its establishment, involving alleged proceeds exceeding GH¢291 million and over US$330,000.
If found guilty, the accused persons could face substantial prison terms, fines, and confiscation of assets under Ghana’s anti-corruption and money laundering laws.
The post MUSTAPHA HAMID, OTHERS OFFICIALLY CHARGED appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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