Former NPA CEO Faces GH¢291m Extortion Charges Together with Nine Others — OSP Reveals
Photo credit: Office of the Special Prosecutor
Accra, Ghana — The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has confirmed that the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, is facing criminal prosecution alongside nine other individuals over alleged extortion and corruption offences amounting to GH¢291 million.
According to a charge sheet filed before the Criminal High Court in Accra, the accused persons made up of senior NPA officials, consultants, and business intermediaries are alleged to have engaged in a coordinated scheme of extortion and unlawful payments targeting oil marketing companies (OMCs) and bulk oil transporters between December 2022 and December 2024.
According to the State’s charge sheet, the counts include: Conspiracy to Commit Extortion by a Public Officer: Dr. Abdul-Hamid and two NPA officials are accused of colluding to extort GH¢291,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47 from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies between December 2022 and December 2024. Two Counts of Extortion by a Public Officer: He is also alleged to have unlawfully received GH¢24 million and GH¢230,000 from transporters and haulage firms under the pretext of official NPA duties.
Court filings indicate that investigators have traced the transactions through bank records, internal correspondence, and witness statements tied to the alleged extortion scheme.
Prosecutors maintain that the charges are neither politically motivated nor frivolous, insisting they are backed by forensic financial evidence.
The viral video, in which Dr. Abdul-Hamid dismisses the case as “useless”, has drawn public debate about judicial independence and public commentary on pending trials.
The Criminal High Court is expected to resume hearing later in November 2025, with both prosecution and defense set to present evidence and cross-examination.
Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, a former Minister of Information and one-time Executive Director of the NPA, served between 2021 and 2024. His administration oversaw reforms in Ghana’s petroleum downstream sector, including licensing, regulatory compliance, and revenue assurance.
His prosecution marks one of the largest anti-corruption cases involving a former agency head in recent years, drawing public attention to transparency in Ghana’s energy sector.
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