The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed charges against seven individuals and three companies in connection with an alleged GHC280 million extortion and money laundering scheme involving the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
Central to the case is Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the former Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, who has been charged alongside current and former officials of the Authority, as well as directors of private companies accused of aiding in the laundering of illicit funds.
According to a statement issued by the OSP, these charges stem from investigations launched in late 2024 into widespread corruption within the petroleum sector.
The investigations uncovered a sophisticated scheme involving the diversion of public funds through a network of collusion between NPA officials and various oil marketing and bulk distribution companies.
Among those charged is Jacob Kwamina Amuah, who served as the Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) and also holds leadership roles in Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited.
Wendy Newman, an NPA staff member, is also implicated, as are Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, and Bright Bediako-Mensah—directors of Kel Logistics Limited. Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, a director of Kings Energy Limited, is also facing charges, with the companies Propnest Ltd., Kel Logistics Ltd., and Kings Energy Ltd. included in the indictment.
The OSP alleges that between 2022 and December 2024, Abdul-Hamid, Amuah, and Newman abused their official positions to operate an unlawful extortion ring that siphoned over GHC280 million from petroleum transporters and oil marketing companies.
The scheme is said to have been initiated by Abdul-Hamid and carried out by Amuah and Newman, who leveraged their roles at the NPA to demand and collect payments without legal authority.
Further investigations revealed that Amuah allegedly delivered GHC24 million in cash to Abdul-Hamid over the course of 2024.
In addition, Newman is said to have facilitated the transfer of approximately GHC227.2 million, acting under the direction of Amuah.
The remaining accused parties are alleged to have assisted in laundering the illicit proceeds, using the funds to purchase real estate, fuel tankers, and to establish fuel stations in an attempt to conceal the criminal origins of the money. A key figure in this part of the operation, Osei Tutu Adjei—a director of Kel Logistics Limited—is currently on the run and being sought by authorities.
The accused are facing a total of 25 charges, including extortion by a public officer under Section 151 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), conspiracy to commit money laundering, and substantive money laundering charges under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).
 has filed charges against seven individuals and three companies in connection with an alleged GHC280 million extortion and money laundering scheme involving the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).){kind=link}