Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), is set to appear before the Criminal Division 3 of Ghana’s High Court on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, to respond to allegations of corruption, extortion, and money laundering.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), in a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Thursday, confirmed that Dr. Abdul-Hamid and six others will face formal proceedings over what it describes as a “grand extortion scheme” involving more than GHS280 million.
According to the OSP, the alleged scheme ran from 2022 to late 2024. Dr. Abdul-Hamid is accused of orchestrating a network that extorted petroleum-related payments, with GHS24 million allegedly ending up in his personal possession. The remainder, the OSP claims, was channelled through intermediaries and laundered through three companies.
The six other individuals implicated in the case—Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bernako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquah, are also expected in court. All have been granted inquiry bail ahead of the proceedings.
However, Dr. Abdul-Hamid’s legal team has pushed back strongly against the allegations. In a statement released on 17 July, his lawyers said no formal charges had been served and described the accusations as “inconsistent and legally hollow.”
They also questioned the credibility of the investigation, noting that the original claim, announced at an OSP press briefing in February 2025, involved the alleged embezzlement of GHS1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) and unspecified procurement breaches. That figure has since been revised significantly downward to GHS280 million, with the charges now focused on extortion and money laundering.
“Our client denies initiating or being involved in any extortion scheme,” the statement read. “He has not received any personal benefit from the alleged conduct.”
In their defence, the legal team highlighted what they called “unprecedented financial growth” under Dr. Abdul-Hamid’s leadership at the NPA. According to them, the UPPF grew from GHS53 million in 2021 to over GHS1.1 billion by the end of 2024, evidence, they argue, of prudent management rather than misconduct.
“This is a man who served with utmost integrity and competence,” the lawyers insisted, adding that Dr. Abdul-Hamid is “fully prepared to contest any charges” and confident that he will be vindicated.
The case, one of the most high-profile in recent memory, has sparked widespread public interest. It comes amid growing scrutiny of accountability in Ghana’s petroleum sector and renewed calls for transparency in public office.
