The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has charged former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and six others before the High Court in Accra for their alleged involvement in a GHC 280 million extortion and money laundering scheme.
In a statement, the OSP revealed that between 2022 and December 2024, Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, and Wendy Newman “acted under the colour of their official duties” to “orchestrate and operate a criminal extortion scheme” through which they unlawfully collected over GHC280 million from petroleum transporters and oil marketing companies.
According to the OSP, the extortion was carried out “without any lawful mandate,” and the proceeds were shared among the accused and subsequently funneled through corporate entities for laundering. “Amuah is alleged to have handed GHC24 million directly to Abdul-Hamid,” the statement added, while “an additional GHC227.2 million was channelled through Newman under Amuah’s direction.”
The laundered money was allegedly used to purchase property, fuel stations, and trucks for an oil distribution business. Four other accused persons, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, are said to have created and used Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited to conceal the origin of the funds.
The OSP has charged all seven individuals and three companies with 25 counts, including extortion by a public officer, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and actual money laundering under Ghana’s anti-corruption and criminal laws.
One director of the accused companies, Osei Tutu Adjei, is currently at large.
The OSP says the accused have been arrested and will be arraigned for their pleas to be taken. It reaffirmed its commitment to fighting corruption “without fear or favour,” urging the public and institutions to remain vigilant.
