By Issah Olegor
A storm is brewing between Ghana’s anti-corruption czar, the Special Prosecutor and a former top public official, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, ex-Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), rejects allegations of extortion and money laundering involving over GHS280 million.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on Wednesday announced sweeping criminal charges against Dr. Hamid and nine others—accusing them of operating an elaborate scheme between 2022 and 2024 to unlawfully extract millions from oil marketing companies and petroleum transporters.
But the former CEO’s legal team is hitting back hard, accusing the OSP of distortion, defamation, and shifting accusations.
Dr. Hamid: “I’ve Not Been Charged in Court”
In a strongly worded press statement released Thursday, July 17, 2025, Dr. Hamid’s lawyer, Hanifa Yahaya, stated that her client has not been formally charged before any court of competent jurisdiction and has not been served any charge sheet.
“Our client denies all the allegations against him contained in the said publication and press release. He is ready to contest all the allegations in the court of law and defend his good name,” the statement read.
According to Yahaya, the OSP’s narrative has changed multiple times—from earlier claims of embezzling GHS1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF), to mismanagement and procurement breaches, and now to extortion and money laundering involving GHS280 million.
OSP’s Allegations: A Wide Net of Accused
The OSP’s charge sheet, which is expected to be filed at the High Court in Accra, names Dr. Hamid alongside:
Jacob Kwamina Amuah – UPPF Coordinator
Wendy Newman – NPA staff
Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, and Bright Bediako-Mensah – Directors of Kel Logistics
Kwaku Aboagye Acquah – Director, Kings Energy Ltd
Propnest Ltd., Kel Logistics Ltd., and Kings Energy Ltd.
One other accused, Osei Tutu Adjei, a director of Kel Logistics, is currently on the run and has been declared wanted.
According to the OSP, Hamid allegedly received GHS24 million directly from Amuah, who coordinated the illegal transfers, while the rest of the funds were channeled through intermediary accounts and companies.
The funds, the OSP claims, were used to purchase fuel stations, oil trucks, and real estate assets—an attempt to launder illicit proceeds.
Legal Defence
Dr. Hamid’s legal team has flatly rejected all claims of wrongdoing. They argue that their client never initiated, benefitted from, or participated in any extortion scheme—directly or indirectly.
The statement emphasized that his tenure as NPA boss was marked by financial transparency, growth, and industry-wide praise.
Yahaya highlighted that the OSP’s original February 2025 press conference had accused Hamid of embezzling GHS1.3 billion.
Following that, Dr. Hamid issued a letter on February 17, 2025, demanding a retraction—a request the OSP reportedly ignored. Days later, on February 25, he was invited by the OSP for questioning.
“It is curious that the allegations have now evolved from embezzlement to procurement breaches and finally to extortion—each with differing amounts and unnamed victims,” the statement said.
The legal team provided financial records from Hamid’s tenure at the NPA showing massive growth in account balances.
For instance, the UPPF grew from GHS53 million in 2021 to over GHS1.1 billion by December 2024.
