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In a major anti-corruption push, the Republic has filed 54 criminal charges against top officials of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and several associated business entities for alleged large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering. The case, titled The Republic v MUSTAPHA ABDUL-HAMID & 9 ORS (Cr/0603/2025), involves allegations of financial malfeasance totaling over GH¢291.5 million and US$332,407.47. In a report released by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on October 19, 2025, the officials of the state agency are being prosecuted for alleged large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering. “CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT THE CRIMINAL OFFENCE OF EXTORTION BY A PUBLIC OFFICER, contrary to sections 23(1) and 239(1) & (3) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) as amended by section 1 of the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act 1034). PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE (1) MUSTAPHA ABDUL-HAMID, Fifty-Four (54) years, at all material times being the Chief Executive Officer of National Petroleum Authority and Chairperson of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund Management Committee under National Petroleum Authority; (2) JACOB KWAMINA AMUAH, Fifty-Seven (57) years, in your position as the then Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund under National Petroleum Authority; (3) WENDY NEWMAN, Forty (40) years, staff of the Audit Department of National Petroleum Authority between December 2022 and December 2024, at Accra in the Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana and within the jurisdiction of this Court, agreed to act together with a common purpose to commit the criminal offence of extortion in respect of the duties of your office as public officers, to obtain, under the colour of office and for your joint personal gain, an amount of Two Hundred and Ninety-One Million Five Hundred and Seventy-Four Thousand Eighty-Seven Cedis Nineteen Pesewas (GH¢291,574,087.19) and a sum of Three Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand Four Hundred and Seven United States Dollars Forty-Seven Cents (US$332,407.47) from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies, which you knew you were not lawfully authorised to obtain,” the report stated in part. OSP pursues six high-profile corruption cases as courts reopen Details of the Allegations The accused persons are alleged to have extorted vast sums in both local and foreign currency from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies while operating under the guise of performing their official duties. Following the alleged extortion, the proceeds were reportedly laundered through various means, including the acquisition of property and the establishment of business entities, all in an effort to conceal the illicit origins of the funds. The ten accused persons named in the charge sheet are: • Mustapha Abdul-Hamid • Jacob Kwamina Amuah • Wendy Newman • Albert Ankrah • Isaac Mensah • Bright Bediako-Mensah • Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah • Propnest Limited • Kel Logistics Limited • Kings Energy Limited Assets Frozen and Seized In connection with the trial, assets valued at over GH¢100 million have been seized and frozen by the state. OSP is upset by some of the things we say – Adom-Otchere These assets include a range of properties believed to have been acquired using the alleged illicit funds, such as: • Vehicles, including tanker trucks • Fuel stations • Houses and apartments • Parcels of land The case is expected to proceed to trial soon as the state seeks to establish the full extent of the alleged fraud and recover the embezzled funds. AG discontinues case against 3rd accused in Adu-Boahene case
