Mustapha Hamid, others granted GHC 14m bail in alleged extortion case

Former head of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, accused of collaborating with others to unlawfully obtain GH₵280.51 million from oil marketing firms, has entered a plea of not guilty to charges brought by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

When he appeared before the High Court on Wednesday, July 23, Dr. Abdul-Hamid, described as the ringleader of the purported scheme, denied allegations of conspiracy to extort, extortion, and deriving personal gain from public office. He was released on bail set at GH₵2 million, backed by two sureties.

Two other officials of the NPA Jacob Kwamina Amuah, who oversees the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF), and Wendy Newman, an NPA employee also pleaded not guilty and were each granted bail of GH₵2 million, secured by two approved sureties. According to the court, one surety must be a civil servant earning no less than GH₵5,000 net per month, while the other is required to show proof of ownership of real estate. The three defendants were further instructed to report to authorities once every two weeks.

In addition to the NPA staff, five company executives accused of playing a role in the alleged money-laundering operation were also charged. They are identified as Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah. Each was granted bail amounting to GH₵2 million, with three sureties one of which must be validated by ownership of immovable property.

The OSP contends that between 2022 and December 2024, Dr. Abdul-Hamid, Amuah, and Newman orchestrated a plot to collect GH₵280.51 million from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies (OMCs). Court documents describe Dr. Abdul-Hamid as the architect of the plan, which he shared with Amuah, who in turn recruited Newman as the key intermediary to handle the collections.

The charge sheet alleges that Amuah transferred GH₵24 million to Dr. Abdul-Hamid over the course of 2024, which prosecutors believe was his portion of the illicit gains. Another GH₵227.23 million was allegedly channelled through Newman, who disbursed the funds in line with Amuah’s directives.

Investigators further allege that Ankrah, Mensah, Bediako-Mensah, Acquaah, along with a fifth individual identified as Adjei, colluded with Amuah and Newman to set up and manage three entities purportedly used to disguise the origin of the illegal proceeds. According to the OSP, these transfers were intended to “conceal or disguise the illicit origin of the funds and to avoid legal consequences.” The funds, they claim, were then used for real estate development, acquisition of fuel trucks, and opening of filling stations.

All the defendants are expected back before the High Court on July 23 for formal arraignment and further proceedings.