The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has uncovered a sprawling GH₵280 million corruption scandal at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), with several top officials accused of abusing their positions for personal gain.

In an official statement released by the OSP, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng revealed that investigations launched in November 2024 have exposed a deeply rooted network of financial misconduct and abuse of power within the NPA, spanning the period between 2022 and 2024.

The probe, according to the OSP, found that some senior and other officials at the Authority had devised and executed a corrupt scheme that exploited their regulatory power to extract substantial sums of money from oil marketing companies (OMCs) and other players in the petroleum downstream sector.

"This was reportedly achieved through threats, intimidation, coercion, veiled suggestions, bribery, and excessive regulatory pressure — all aimed at enriching the perpetrators," the statement noted.

As of 30 May 2025, the OSP reports that it has traced a total of GH₵280,516,127.19 believed to be proceeds of this illicit scheme. Investigators say part of these funds was used to acquire luxury apartments and homes both in Ghana and abroad, along with 22 fuel haulage trucks.

Disturbingly, the OSP also discovered that some NPA officials used the illicit funds to establish and operate their own oil marketing companies, placing them in direct and unethical competition with the very businesses they were tasked to regulate.

Addressing the media on Monday, 2 June, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng confirmed that criminal charges will be filed before the end of June 2025 against the first batch of implicated individuals. These will include NPA officials, executives of complicit OMCs, and their directors or senior managers.

“Upon filing of charges, we will provide full details — including the identities of those involved, assets acquired, and items recovered,” the OSP assured.

The Office reaffirmed its commitment to fighting corruption and urged the public to remain vigilant and supportive as the legal process unfolds.