Former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) CEO, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has been dragged before the Criminal High Court in Accra alongside nine other individuals and companies, accused of conspiring to extort over GH¢291 million from players in the petroleum sector.

In a charge sheet filed at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra, the prosecution alleges that the accused persons, including senior NPA staff and three limited liability companies, acted together to illegally obtain massive sums from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies between December 2022 and December 2024.

The ten accused are MUSTAPHA ABDUL-HAMID (54), the former NPA Boss; JACOB KWAMINA AMUAH (57), the then Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF); WENDY NEWMAN (40), a staffer of the NPA Audit Department; ALBERT ANKRAH, ISAAC MENSAH, BRIGHT BEDIAKO-MENSAH, and KWAKU ABOAGYE ACQUAAH.

The companies named in the suit are PROPNEST LIMITED, KEL LOGISTICS LIMITED, and KINGS ENERGY LIMITED.

The charges and key Allegations

In a charge sheet filed before the Criminal High Court, the prosecution alleges that between December 2022 and December 2024, the accused persons "agreed to act together with a common purpose" to extort the massive sums "from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies, which you knew you were not lawfully authorised to obtain."

The specific amounts cited are a staggering GH¢291,574,087.19 (Two Hundred and Ninety-One Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Four Thousand, and Eighty-Seven Cedis, Nineteen Pesewas) and US$332,407.47 (Three Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Seven US Dollars, Forty-Seven Cents).

Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, a former Minister and prominent member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), faces two additional standalone counts.

Specific Charges Against Former NPA Boss

In Count Two, Dr Abdul-Hamid is accused of personally committing extortion by obtaining GH¢24 million for his personal gain between January and December 2024. The charge sheet states that he allegedly received the money "from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies through JACOB KWAMINA AMUAH."

A third count alleges that between July 2022 and March 2023, while serving as NPA CEO and Chairperson of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) Management Committee, he also engaged in extortion.