By Daniel Bampoe
The ongoing criminal trial involving former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and several others has taken a dramatic turn, following a strategic decision by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to drop charges against two key accused persons and convert them into prosecution witnesses.
The individuals—Albert Ankrah, a director and shareholder of Kel Logistics Limited and Propnest Limited, and Isaac Mensah, a director of Kings Energy Limited and Kel Logistics Limited—were originally part of the group of 10 accused persons facing multiple charges including extortion, money laundering, and conspiracy.
However, as of March 2026, the OSP has formally withdrawn all charges against them in order to rely on their testimony in prosecuting the remaining defendants.
Origins Of The Case
The NPA case traces its roots to investigations launched by the OSP in early 2025 following a petition alleging financial impropriety within the management of the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF).
The investigation focused on activities between December 2022 and December 2024, during which prosecutors allege that certain officials and their associates orchestrated a scheme to unlawfully extract payments from oil marketing companies and bulk oil transporters.
According to the OSP, the alleged scheme was carried out under the guise of regulatory obligations and administrative processes within the petroleum downstream sector.
The prosecution claims that the accused persons exploited their official positions and influence to demand payments, resulting in the accumulation of approximately GH¢291.6 million and US$332,407.
Initial Charges And Court Proceedings
Following months of investigation, the OSP filed charges against ten individuals and three companies, including Dr. Abdul-Hamid, who served as NPA Chief Executive from 2021 to 2024.
The charges—spanning 54 counts—included extortion by a public officer, using public office for profit, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit these offences.
The accused persons were first interrogated and granted bail in February 2025 and were later arraigned before the High Court in Accra. Since then, the case has undergone multiple procedural developments, including amended charge sheets, bail variations, and case management conferences.
Throughout this period, all accused persons have consistently pleaded not guilty, with their lawyers describing the charges as unfounded and politically motivated.
Asset Freezing And Financial Trail
As part of its investigations, the OSP moved to freeze assets valued at over GH¢100 million, believed to be linked to proceeds of the alleged scheme. These assets reportedly include real estate properties in prime locations, fuel stations, tanker trucks, and luxury vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Rolls-Royce models.
The OSP has maintained that these measures are consistent with its mandate under law to preserve suspected proceeds of crime pending the final determination of the case.
However, the asset seizures have themselves become a subject of controversy, with defense lawyers disputing any direct linkage between the properties and their clients.
Strategic Shift: Flipping Key Accused
The latest decision to drop charges against Albert Ankrah and Isaac Mensah represents a calculated prosecutorial strategy aimed at strengthening the case against the remaining defendants.
By turning the two into state witnesses, the OSP is expected to rely on insider accounts to establish how the alleged scheme operated, including the roles played by each accused person and the movement of funds through corporate entities.
Legal analysts say such a move is often adopted in complex financial crime cases where insider testimony can help bridge evidentiary gaps and provide clarity on internal dealings that may not be fully captured in documentary evidence.
The move effectively reduces the number of accused persons from 10 to eight individuals, while maintaining charges against three corporate entities—Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited.
Remaining Defendants And Case Outlook
The prosecution will now proceed against seven individuals and three companies, with Dr. Abdul-Hamid remaining the central figure in the case.
Other key accused include Jacob Kwamina Amuah, a former UPPF Coordinator, and Wendy Newman, an NPA staff member, along with other company directors linked to the firms under investigation.
The High Court has adjourned proceedings to allow the OSP to formally complete the withdrawal of charges against the two new witnesses and update its filings accordingly.
Implications For The Trial
The decision to convert former accused persons into witnesses introduces a new dynamic into the trial, with the outcome now likely to depend heavily on the credibility, consistency, and reliability of their testimony under cross-examination.
While the OSP views the move as a necessary step to secure convictions, defense lawyers are expected to challenge the motives and credibility of the witnesses, particularly given their previous status as accused persons.
