The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has announced that the Criminal Division of the High Court has adjourned the taking of pleas in the case involving Mustapha Hamid and nine others, who are facing multiple charges of extortion and money laundering, to December 9.

According to a Facebook post shared by the OSP, the adjournment came after the case was administratively reassigned from Criminal Court 3 to Criminal Court 4, following the filing of additional charges by state prosecutors.

The charges have now increased from 25 counts to 54, significantly expanding the scope of the case.

The OSP noted that the hearing scheduled for today could not proceed as planned due to the reassignment. The new court has therefore rescheduled proceedings to its next available date, December 9.

• READ ALSO: Mustapha Hamid sues OSP for defamation, seeks GH¢20m in damages

In a related development, the first accused, Mustapha Hamid, was unable to move his application for the release of his passport because of the change in court.

The application, which he may renew at the next hearing, concerns his request to travel to Canada between 17th and 23rd November to attend what has been described as a political event.

Meanwhile, Dr Mustapha Abdul Hamid initiated a GH¢20 million defamation lawsuit against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

The action follows allegations linking him to the purported misappropriation of GH¢1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF).

The suit, lodged at the High Court (General Jurisdiction Division) in Accra on 10th November 2025, seeks a judicial declaration that the OSP’s remarks during a media briefing on 12th February 2025 were defamatory and had gravely tarnished his reputation.

Read Also: Mustapha Hamid sues OSP for defamation, seeks GH¢20m in damages