The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has revealed that the first accused person, former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, in the NPA fraud case has met his bail conditions.

The remaining six accused persons were unable to do so and have been detained. The other six accused persons are Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah.

The Criminal Division of the High Court on Wednesday granted GHC2 million bail each to seven accused persons in the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) fraud case before it.

The High Court commenced proceedings in the matter of The Republic v. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid & 9 Others today, July 23, marking the first arraignment in the case.

The accused persons are Mutapha Abdul-Hmaid (first accused); Jacob Kwamina Amuah, coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) at NPA and managing director of three corporate entities—Propnest, Kel Logistics, and Kings Energy (second accused); Wendy Newman, NPA staff (third accused); Albert Ankrah, director of Kel Logistics Limited (fourth accused); Isaac Mensah, director of Kel Logistics Limited (fifth accused); Bright Bediako-Mensah, director of Kel Logistics and Kings Energy Limited (sixth accused); Kwaku Aboagye Acquah, director of Kings Energy Limited (seventh accused); Propnest Limited (eighth accused); Kel Logistics Limited (ninth accused); and Kings Energy Limited (tenth accused).

All ten accused persons were present and entered pleas of not guilty to the charges brought against them, which include conspiracy to commit extortion, extortion, and money laundering.

Counsel for the accused applied for bail, which the prosecution did not oppose. However, the prosecution urged the court to impose strict conditions to prevent any of the accused from leaving the jurisdiction without lawful authorization.

The bail conditions for Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, and Wendy Newman are as follows: a bail sum of GHS 2 million each, two sureties to be justified, one surety must be a public officer, must provide landed property in Accra, report to OSP every fortnight, and passport to be deposited at the Court Registry.

The bail conditions for Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah are as follows: a bail sum of GHS 2 million each, two sureties to be justified, one surety must be a public officer, must provide landed property in Accra, report to OSP every fortnight, and one surety must submit a valid ID card to the Court Registry.

The case has been adjourned to 26th August 2025 for continuation.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has charged seven individuals and three companies before the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra on multiple charges of extortion and money laundering arising from a sprawling corruption scheme within the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

The charges stem from investigations initiated by the OSP in late 2024 into alleged unlawful conduct involving the diversion of public funds and collusion with oil marketing and bulk distribution companies.

Between 2022 and December 2024, the first three accused persons-acting under the colour of their official duties-allegedly orchestrated and operated a criminal extortion scheme through which they unlawfully collected GHC280,516,127.19 from petroleum transporters and oil marketing companies.

The scheme, initiated by Abdul-Hamid and implemented by Amuah and Newman, lacked any lawful mandate and exploited their positions within the NPA.

From the proceeds, Amuah is alleged to have handed GHC24 million directly to Abdul-Hamid between January and December 2024. An additional GHC227.2 million was channelled through Newman under Amuah's direction for further disbursement.

Investigations further revealed that the fourth to seventh accused persons, in collaboration with a fugitive director of Kel Logistics Limited, created and utilised Propnest Ltd., Kel Logistics Ltd., and Kings Energy Ltd. as vehicles for laundering the illicit proceeds.

The laundered funds were used to purchase and construct houses, acquire trucks for an oil distribution business, and build fuel stations-all as part of efforts to conceal and disguise the origin of the criminal proceeds.

All 7 individuals and three companies have been charged with a total of 25 counts, including:

Extortion by a Public Officer, contrary to Section 151 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29)

Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, contrary to Section 23 of Act 29 and Sections 1(1), 1(2), and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044) Money Laundering, contrary to Sections 1(1), 1(2), and 4 of Act 1044 One Osei Tutu Adjei, a Director of the ninth accused company is currently at large.

FACTS TO BE ESTABLISHED

The first accused person is the former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), following his appointment on 1 July 2021. At all material times, he was the Chief Executive of the NPA.

The second accused is the Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) under NPA. He was employed by NPA in 2008 and has held various senior management positions within the Authority. He is also the Managing Director of the eighth, ninth, and tenth accused companies.

The third accused person is an employee of NPA. The fourth and fifth accused persons are Directors of the ninth accused company. The sixth accused person is a Director of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh accused companies.

The seventh accused person is a Director of the tenth and eleventh accused companies. The eighth, ninth, and tenth accused companies are incorporated in Ghana.

In the last quarter of 2024, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) commenced full investigation in respect of suspected corruption and corruption-related offences at NPA involving top managerial and other staff of the Authority regarding suspected unlawful dealings with oil marketing companies and bulk oil transporters.

Investigations by the OSP show that between 2022 and December 2024, the first, second, and third accused persons, under the colour of their office as officers of NPA, set up an extortionate scheme by which they unlawfully obtained an amount of GH¢280,516,127.19 from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies which they knew they were not lawfully authorised to obtain.

The scheme was contrived by the first accused person, who sold the idea of the criminal adventure to the second accused person, who also recruited the third accused person as the primary conduit for receiving the proceeds of the crime.

A total amount of GI Ic24,000,000.00 was handed directly by the second accused person to the first accused person between January 2024 to December 2024—being proceeds of the criminal extortion scheme. Of the total amount received by the first, second, and third Accused persons, a sum of Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Million Two Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand Three Hundred and twenty-three cedis and fifty-eight pesewas (GH¢227,232,323.58) was paid through the third accused person, who disbursed it at the instruction of the second accused person.

The investigations further revealed that the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh, Accused persons, together with one Osei Tutu Adjei - Director of the Ninth Accused company (currently at large) - with the complicity of the Second and Third Accused persons, established and ran the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Accused companies - by which they proceeded to unlawfully launder the proceeds of the criminal adventure of the First, Second, and Third Accused persons through various transfers for the acquisition of movable and immovable property for the purpose of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of the proceeds of the criminal enterprise and to evade the legal consequences of the unlawful activity.

The Second and third accused persons transferred various sums of money directly to Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Accused companies and funded the purchase and construction of houses, the purchase of trucks for oil distribution business, and the construction of fuel filling stations.

The accused persons were apprehended and charged with the offences contained in the charge sheet.