Former NPA Boss Mustapha Abdul-Hamid Pleads Not Guilty to GH₵280.51 Million Extortion Charges ;granted GH₵2 million bail
Accra, Ghana – 23 July, 2025 – Former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to extort, extortion, and using public office for profit. The allegations, filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), claim that Dr. Abdul-Hamid conspired with others to extort GH₵280.51 million from oil marketing companies between 2022 and December 2024.
According to the charge sheet, Dr. Abdul-Hamid devised the scheme and introduced it to Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF), who in turn recruited Wendy Newman, a staff member of the NPA, as the primary conduit for collecting the proceeds. It is alleged that Amuah transferred GH₵24 million to Dr. Abdul-Hamid between January and December 2024, believed to be part of the proceeds from the criminal enterprise.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid, Amuah, and Newman were each granted bail in the sum of GH₵2 million with two sureties. One surety must be a public servant earning a net salary of at least GH₵5,000, while the other must provide evidence of ownership of landed property. The three accused have been directed to report to the authorities once every two weeks.
Five executives of three companies accused of facilitating the alleged money laundering scheme have also been charged. They include Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah. Each of the accused has been granted bail in the sum of GH₵2 million, with three sureties, one of which must be justified with landed property ².
The OSP alleges that the scheme was designed to conceal or disguise the illicit origin of the funds and avoid legal consequences. The funds were allegedly used for the purchase and construction of houses, procurement of oil distribution trucks, and establishment of fuel filling stations ³.
Source :Lead News Online/Emmanuel Kofi Ahadzi
