OSP’s fresh charges stall NPA corruption trial again
The highly publicised alleged corruption case involving the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine others has once again hit a procedural snag after the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) filed fresh amendments to the charge sheet — the second in just two months.
The case, titled The Republic v. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid & 9 Others (Cr/0603/2025), was scheduled for hearing on Monday, October 20, 2025.
However, the OSP’s latest move to alter the charges midway through proceedings has effectively delayed the trial’s commencement once more, drawing criticism from the court and defence counsel alike.
At the previous sitting on August 26, 2025, the OSP had similarly introduced an “ambush amendment,” leading the presiding judge to caution prosecutors after discovering that an earlier amendment, purportedly filed on August 20, was not on the court’s official records.
The judge had at the time directed the OSP to ensure full disclosure of evidence by August 26 and file all witness statements by September 26, 2025 — orders that have now been rendered void by the new amendment.
Mustapha legal counsel say this latest procedural twist has “reset the case to zero,” frustrating expectations for an early trial in what has become one of Ghana’s most closely watched corruption prosecutions in the petroleum sector.
According to the OSP, the latest amendment expands the number of charges from 25 to 54, following what investigators describe as “fresh evidence” uncovered during ongoing probes.
The new charges include large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering, involving transactions worth GH¢291,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47.
The accused persons — Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah — are alleged to have orchestrated a grand scheme that saw officials of the NPA and private firms extorting huge sums of money from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies under the pretext of official regulatory operations.
Three corporate entities — Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited — have also been cited in the case for allegedly facilitating the laundering of illicit funds through business transactions and real estate investments.
The OSP disclosed that over GH¢100 million worth of assets — including fuel stations, luxury apartments, tanker trucks, and parcels of land — have been seized or frozen pending the final determination of the case.
This legal battle traces back to mid-2024, when the OSP first launched a sweeping investigation into allegations of corruption and illegal enrichment within the NPA.
The inquiry gained momentum after whistleblowers within the petroleum distribution chain alleged that top NPA officials were collecting unapproved fees from oil marketers to expedite approvals and licensing.
While the OSP maintains that the amendments are based on emerging evidence, defence lawyers have accused the prosecution of deliberately stalling proceedings and flouting the court’s procedural timelines.
“We were in court this morning, only for the prosecution to yet again bring a fresh charge sheet. This has completely derailed the case,” one of the defence lawyers lamented after Monday’s session.
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