The trial of former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and seven others has been adjourned to August 27, 2026, pending the determination of an injunction application challenging the directive for selected cases to be heard during the legal vacation.

The application is expected to come before the Supreme Court on Thursday, August 20, and the outcome will likely determine whether the trial should continue during the vacation or be deferred until the start of the new legal year in October.

The Accra High Court had earlier rejected a request by lawyers to suspend proceedings for four of the accused persons and resume the trial in October.

The court instead directed that the case proceed during the legal vacation, in accordance with a warrant issued by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, for selected high-profile criminal cases to be heard during that period.

The prosecution, led by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), has accused Dr Abdul-Hamid and the other accused persons of unlawfully obtaining money from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies in the petroleum sector.

The accused persons have denied the allegations.

The case was subsequently adjourned to August 27 to await the Supreme Court’s determination of the injunction application challenging the legal vacation arrangement.