The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has dragged seven high-profile individuals and three companies before the High Court in Accra, accusing them of masterminding a jaw-dropping GH₵280 million corruption and money laundering scheme.
At the centre of this damning scandal is Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), who is alleged to have pocketed a staggering GH₵24 million in cash and orchestrated the siphoning of another GH₵227.2 million through an elaborate web of accomplices and shell companies.
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Also roped into the scandal are Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) and managing director of three implicated firms, as well as Wendy Newman, a serving staff member of the NPA.
The trio, according to the OSP, used their official positions to unlawfully extort petroleum transporters and oil marketing firms between 2022 and December 2024, laundering the loot through a triad of front companies—Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited.
Others facing the full wrath of the law include:
Albert Ankrah, Director, Kel Logistics
Isaac Mensah, Director, Kel Logistics
Bright Bediako-Mensah, Director, Kel Logistics and Kings Energy
Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, Director, Kings Energy
Their alleged criminal enterprise, according to investigators, saw the ill-got cash funnelled into luxury properties, fuel stations, and fleets of trucks—part of a grand cover-up to legitimise the stolen wealth.
A total of 25 charges, ranging from extortion by a public officer to conspiracy and money laundering, have been slapped on the accused, while one of the alleged masterminds, Osei Tutu Adjei, a director of Kel Logistics, remains on the run.
In a statement laced with resolve, the OSP declared:
“The Office reaffirms its unwavering commitment to fearlessly pursue and prosecute all acts of corruption and urges all public institutions to remain alert and report any signs of graft.”