The High Court in Accra has granted bail to former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and nine others, largely maintaining the bail terms set by Criminal Court 3, but with some adjustments to strengthen oversight.

The court, according to Citinews, noted that while the previous charges were withdrawn and replaced with a new 54-count charge sheet, the accused had already complied with many of the earlier bail conditions. It therefore ruled that retaining the original terms, with some modifications, served the “interest of justice.”

Under the updated conditions, Dr. Abdul-Hamid, along with Jacob Kwamina Amuah and Wendy Newman, is required to report to the Court Registrar—not investigators—on the first and last Tuesday of each month.

The Registrar is now expected to file monthly reports on whether the accused are obeying all bail conditions, with the court cautioning that any violation will lead to an immediate bench warrant, even on days the court is not in session.

Meanwhile, the three accused—Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, and Wendy Newman—continue to hold GH¢2 million bail each, backed by three sureties, one of whom must be a public servant earning at least GH¢5,000 net, while another is required to submit land documents. Their passports are still being held by the court registry.

In addition, the other accused persons, made up of company directors and related entities, remain on GH¢2 million bail each with three sureties, though their required public servant surety threshold has been lowered to GH¢3,000 net monthly income. They are also mandated to report to the registry twice a month until the case concludes.

Before granting bail, the court took the pleas of all 10 accused persons on a new 54-count charge sheet covering offences such as extortion, using public office for profit, money laundering, and conspiracy.

All 10 accused persons pleaded not guilty to each of the charges.

Among those standing trial are former NPA CEO Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, UPPF Coordinator Jacob Kwamina Amuah, NPA staff member Wendy Newman, company directors Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, together with PropNest Ltd., Kel Logistics Ltd., and Kings Energy Ltd.

According to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the First, Second, and Third accused persons allegedly ran an extortion scheme between 2022 and December 2024, collecting GH¢291,574,087.19 and US$332,407 from oil marketing companies and bulk oil transporters.

Investigators indicate that the scheme was initiated by Dr. Abdul-Hamid, carried out by Amuah, and supported by Newman, who is said to have received the funds.

The OSP also claims that part of the money was laundered through the three accused companies to purchase lands, residential properties, fuel stations, and trucks, allegedly to conceal the origin of the funds.

Under the court’s timeline, the prosecution must file all necessary disclosures by January 12, 2026, ahead of the Case Management Conference set for January 19, 2026.

On Wednesday, February 12, the Office of the Special Prosecutor announced that it had launched an investigation into Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid over allegations of GH¢1.3 billion embezzlement from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund.

Speaking at a press briefing, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng confirmed that his office is probing suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses tied to the misappropriation of funds meant to regulate fuel price stability across the country.

“The OSP has commenced investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses in respect of an alleged embezzlement of GH¢1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).“The investigation primarily targets the following persons: the coordinator of the UPPF, Jacob Amoah; NPA staff Wendy Ashong Newman; NPA staff Freda Tandoh; and a former Chief Executive of the NPA, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid.”

National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab, is standing trial over allegations of large-scale financial misconduct during his time in office. He was arrested on June 25, along with his wife. EOCO granted a GH¢30 million bail to his wife, while he remained in custody pending fulfillment of his GH¢60 million bail condition.The arrest, which took place simultaneously in Accra and Tamale, also led to the detention of a third, unnamed individual believed to be linked to the investigation.

On Tuesday, July 8, the former NAFCO boss was released from the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after being detained for 14 days. Abdul-Wahab Hanan was released after meeting a GH¢60 million bail condition backed by two guarantors.

On June 25, Hanan and his spouse were taken into custody over suspected mismanagement of funds while he led the government agency. His wife had been granted bail earlier, set at GH¢30 million.

Earlier reports indicated that Mr. Hanan had met the bail terms; however, he remained in EOCO custody, a situation that drew backlash from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which described the terms as harsh and unfair. A third suspect, an unnamed individual believed to be linked to the investigation, was also detained.

While addressing journalists at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, October 22, as part of the Government Accountability Series, the Attorney General (A-G) and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, revealed a list of luxury assets belonging to the former NAFCO boss.

His assets, according to the A-G, include a five-bedroom house at Chain Homes valued at $1.625 million; a three-bedroom house at Cantonments purchased for $600,000; and multiple plots of land at the Airport Development Area worth $750,000. Other properties include a 17-bedroom boutique hotel in Gumani, Tamale, acquired for $250,000; a four-bedroom bungalow at Dzorwulu, Accra, valued at over GH¢4.14 million; and a 0.32-acre parcel of government land purchased for GH¢307,200.

He added that the recent development was made possible through collaboration with EOCO after several properties and bank transactions were traced to Abdul-Wahab. However, Abdul-Wahab has denied all allegations leveled against him by the Attorney General. In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 22, Mr. Aludiba noted that he has instructed his lawyers to follow up on the allegations.

“I wish to state, respectfully, that these claims are untrue and do not reflect the facts of the matter. I have no involvement in the issues being referred to, and I find the comments deeply unfortunate. I look forward to the opportunity to present my side and to have my day in court, where I am confident that the truth will be made clear,” the statement added.