An Accra High Court has rejected a request by lawyers for former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and four other accused persons to adjourn their trial until October.
The court, presided over by Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga, said it would continue hearing the case during the legal vacation, which runs through August and September, until the Chief Justice revokes the warrant authorising the court to sit during the period.
The lawyers had asked the court to adjourn the case to October, citing prior commitments and travel plans during the legal vacation.
One of the defence lawyers told the court that he had already booked a flight to travel outside the jurisdiction to attend to pressing personal matters, while other lawyers also cited existing commitments.
Justice Achibonga, however, said there would have been no need for the Chief Justice to issue a warrant for the court to sit during the vacation if the case was to be heard only after October.
He noted that the court was mandated to continue sitting and conducting hearings until the warrant was formally revoked by the Chief Justice.
The judge further observed that the lawyers seeking to travel worked with a law firm and said the firm should be able to provide another lawyer to represent the accused persons during the proceedings.
He, however, gave the accused persons until the next adjourned date, August 17, 2026, to make arrangements concerning their legal representation.
Justice Achibonga warned that if the accused persons remained without legal representation by then, the court would proceed with the Case Management Conference and they would have to represent themselves.
Dr Abdul-Hamid and five others are standing trial over allegations that more than GH¢291.57 million and $323,407.47 were extorted from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has accused Dr Abdul-Hamid, former NPA officials Jacob Kwamina Amuah and Wendy Newman, and three company executives of participating in an alleged scheme targeting businesses in Ghana’s petroleum downstream sector.
Mr Amuah is a coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF), while Ms Newman is a staff member of the NPA.
The three other accused persons are Isaac Mensa, a director of Kel Logistics Limited; Bright Bediako-Mensah, a director of Kel Logistics and Kings Energy Limited; and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, a director of Kings Energy Limited.
According to the OSP, Dr Abdul-Hamid, Mr Amuah and Ms Newman allegedly devised and executed a scheme between 2022 and December 2024 to unlawfully collect money from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies under various pretexts.
The prosecution alleges that the scheme was conceived by Dr Abdul-Hamid and presented to Mr Amuah, while Ms Newman was subsequently recruited as the main channel through which some of the alleged proceeds were received.
The OSP further alleges that Mr Amuah handed GH¢24 million directly to Dr Abdul-Hamid between January and December 2024. Dr Abdul-Hamid is also alleged to have directly received GH¢230,000 from a haulage company during the same period.
The prosecution further alleges that portions of the funds were channelled through Ms Newman, who allegedly distributed the money on Mr Amuah’s instructions.
The OSP has also accused Mr Mensa, Mr Bediako-Mensah and Mr Acquaah, together with another associate identified only as Adjei, of working with Mr Amuah and Ms Newman to establish and operate three companies through which the alleged proceeds were laundered.
According to the prosecution, the funds were transferred through various accounts and allegedly used to acquire movable and immovable assets.
The OSP alleges that the money was used to finance the construction and purchase of houses, acquire trucks for oil distribution operations and construct fuel filling stations, allegedly as part of efforts to conceal or disguise the origins of the funds.
All six accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been granted bail.
The case will return to court on August 17, 2026, when the issue of legal representation is expected to be addressed and the Case Management Conference may proceed.
