The information gathered suggests the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is set to rely on bank and mobile money accounts and documents in its criminal case against former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive, Mustapha Hamid, and other accused persons.
According to reports, the OSP is expected to rely on financial records, including bank and mobile money accounts and related transactions, to establish the movement of funds linked to the alleged offences.
Hundreds of documents are also expected to form part of the evidence the OSP will present in support of its case.
The NPA scandal case involves officials of the NPA and several associated companies who are facing charges including alleged large-scale extortion, abuse of public office and money laundering.
The OSP alleged offences involve sums totalling approximately GH¢291 million and more than US$300,000.
Some months ago, the OSP disclosed that it has amended the charges against former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine others.
According to the OSP statement, the number of accused persons in the Republic v. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid & 9 Others case has been increased from 25 to 54 following the discovery of new evidence from ongoing investigations.
The OSP statement read, “The Republic has filed 54 criminal charges against officials of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and several associated companies for alleged large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering, totalling GHo291,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47 respectively.
The accused are alleged to have extorted hundreds of millions of cedis and foreign currency from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies under the guise of official duties, and subsequently laundered the proceeds through property acquisitions and business entities to conceal their illicit origins”.
The accused persons are Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) statement also disclosed assets seized and frozen pending trial, “Vehicles, including tanker trucks, fuel stations, houses, apartments, and parcels of land valued at over GHc100 million”.
Background
Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited have been accused of alleged large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering amounting to GH¢297,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47.
Dr Mustapha Hamid, the first accused, has been accused of orchestrating a large-scale corruption scheme within the petroleum sector between 2022 and 2024.
They have been accused of laundering funds funnelled into luxury properties, vehicles, and fuel stations through a coordinated scheme that targeted Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs).
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