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Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has denied allegations linking him to a GH¢280 million extortion and money laundering scheme.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed charges against seven former NPA officials, including Dr. Abdul-Hamid, and three companies in connection with the alleged scheme.
The charges follow investigations launched in late 2024 into the alleged diversion of public funds and collusion with some oil marketing and bulk distribution companies.
According to a statement by the OSP, the accused are believed to have extorted funds from petroleum transporters and oil marketing companies under the guise of official NPA operations, without any legal mandate.
The OSP alleges that Dr. Abdul-Hamid, together with Jacob Kwamina Amuah and Wendy Newman, orchestrated the scheme between 2022 and December 2024.
Amuah is said to have transferred GH¢24 million directly to Dr. Abdul-Hamid during that period, while GH¢227.2 million was allegedly funneled through Newman on Amuah’s instructions.
The funds were then allegedly laundered through Propnest Ltd., Kel Logistics Ltd., and Kings Energy Ltd., with other individuals implicated in the process.
In response to the allegations, Dr. Abdul-Hamid’s legal counsel has released a statement on Thursday, July 17 refuting all the claims.
The statement noted that the former NPA boss has not been served any formal charges and has not appeared before a court of competent jurisdiction.
It emphasized that Dr. Abdul-Hamid denies any involvement in extortion and is fully prepared to defend his name.
“We wish to state that as at the time of issuing this press statement, our client has not been charged before any court of competent jurisdiction. We are yet to sight any charge sheet. However, we wish to make the following statements based on the press release: That, our client denies all the allegations against him contained in the said publication and press release.
That, our client is ready to contest all the allegations in the court of law and defend his good name.”
The statement also highlighted that the allegations against him have shifted over time—from embezzlement and procurement breaches to extortion—and that the sums involved have similarly changed, from GH¢1.3 billion to GH¢280 million.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid insists that he never initiated or participated in any criminal scheme and did not personally benefit from any such activity.
His lawyers maintain that he served the NPA with integrity and professionalism throughout his tenure and point to audited financial records showing significant growth in the Authority’s major accounts during his leadership.
They reaffirm his willingness to cooperate fully with any investigations and expressed confidence that he will be vindicated.
Read below the statement by Mustapha Hamid’s counsel
