Criminal charges loom at NPA over GH₵280 million corruption scandal
By DL News
Published
1 min read
In a public announcement issued by the OSP, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng detailed how the investigation, which began in November 2024, uncovered a complex network of illicit dealings.
A major corruption scheme involving over GH₵280 million has been uncovered at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), following months of investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). The revelations point to widespread abuse of regulatory power by top NPA officials between 2022 and 2024.
In a public announcement, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng detailed how the investigation, which began in November 2024, uncovered a complex network of illicit dealings. Senior personnel at the NPA allegedly manipulated their positions to extort large sums of money from businesses operating within the petroleum downstream sector, particularly oil marketing companies (OMCs).
The OSP reports that the tactics used ranged from veiled threats and regulatory coercion to outright bribery. According to the statement, these officials “created a system where compliance with NPA regulations became a gateway for personal enrichment.”
The investigation has so far traced GH₵280,516,127.19 suspected to be proceeds of the scheme. The funds were allegedly funneled into the acquisition of high-end properties both in Ghana and abroad, as well as the purchase of 22 petroleum haulage trucks. Even more alarming, some of the implicated officials reportedly used the embezzled funds to launch their own OMCs — creating a direct conflict of interest by entering the very market they were meant to oversee.
Speaking at a media engagement on June 2, 2025, Mr. Agyebeng confirmed that the OSP intends to file criminal charges by the end of the month. These charges will target current and former NPA staff, executives from collaborating OMCs, and directors suspected of being complicit in the scheme.
The Office also called on the public to support the broader national effort to root out systemic corruption, urging citizens to remain engaged as the legal proceedings commence.
This case is expected to be one of the largest corruption prosecutions in Ghana’s petroleum sector in recent memory.
