Mustapha Hamid, Six Others to Appear in Court July 23 Over OSP Charges
Former NPA CEO accused of masterminding GHS280 million extortion and laundering scheme
- Mustapha Hamid and six others are due in court on July 23 over corruption claims
- OSP alleges extortion and laundering of GHS280 million from 2022 to 2024
- Hamid’s lawyers deny wrongdoing, say the case lacks legal basis
Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, along with six others, is scheduled to appear before the High Court (Criminal Division 3) on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, to respond to corruption-related charges filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on July 17, the OSP alleged that Dr. Abdul-Hamid orchestrated an extortion scheme that amassed GHS280,516,127.19 between 2022 and 2024. Of this amount, GHS24 million is said to have been personally received by him, while the rest was allegedly laundered through intermediaries and three corporate entities.
The other individuals named in the case—Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bernako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquah—are all currently on inquiry bail.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid’s legal team has rejected the allegations, arguing that as of July 17, no formal charges had been served and no court summons issued. They further criticized the OSP’s shifting narrative, pointing out that earlier accusations mentioned GHS1.3 billion in embezzlement from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) and procurement infractions—claims that have now changed to extortion and money laundering with a drastically reduced amount.
His lawyers assert that under Dr. Abdul-Hamid’s leadership, the UPPF saw remarkable growth, rising from GHS53 million in 2021 to over GHS1.1 billion by 2024, citing this as evidence of his competence and integrity.
They emphasized that he is ready to defend himself in court and believes the facts will vindicate him.
