, has expressed strong confidence that he will be vindicated in the ongoing GH¢280 million extortion and money laundering case filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).){kind=link}
The legal team representing Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has expressed strong confidence that he will be vindicated in the ongoing GH¢280 million extortion and money laundering case filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Dr. Abdul-Hamid is the first accused in a case involving ten individuals and corporate bodies alleged to have orchestrated a large-scale corruption scheme within Ghana’s petroleum sector between 2022 and 2024.
Appearing on Channel One TV’s Face to Face with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Tuesday, July 29, lead counsel Joseph Kpemka firmly asserted that the charges currently brought against his client have shifted significantly from initial allegations, which, in his view, signals a weak evidentiary basis.
“At the end of the day, justice will be served,” Mr. Kpemka said. “The very moment Mustapha was initially hauled before the Special Prosecutor, he was being investigated for mismanagement and embezzlement of the UPPF fund. But the charges now have nothing to do with that. He was only cautioned.”
Dr. Abdul-Hamid, who was granted bail in the sum of GH¢2 million, fulfilled all conditions by 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, 2025. He was required to provide two sureties, each earning a net monthly salary of no less than GH¢5,000, with financial justification. Additionally, he must report to the OSP every two weeks as investigations continue.
Two other key figures in the case — Jacob Kwamena Amuah, Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF), and Wendy Newman, an NPA employee — have also met similar bail conditions.
The accused are alleged to have been part of a coordinated extortion and money laundering operation targeting Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs). According to the OSP, proceeds from the scheme were used to acquire luxury vehicles, real estate, and fuel stations.
The case, one of the most high-profile prosecutions launched by the Special Prosecutor’s Office, has generated widespread public interest and scrutiny of financial governance in Ghana’s energy sector.