By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, was released on Wednesday by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) after meeting his bail condition in a case against him and others.
Dr. Hamid is the first accused in the high-profile GH₵280 million case involving extortion and money laundering.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), in a social media post on Wednesday, indicated that the remaining six individuals accused alongside him were unable to fulfill the court’s requirements and hence have been detained pending further proceedings.
The OSP recently charged Dr. Abdul-Hamid and nine others, including six individuals and three companies, with 25 counts of corruption-related offenses, including conspiracy to commit extortion, money laundering, and misuse of public office.
The alleged crimes, according to the OSP, occurred between December 2022 and December 2024, during which the accused purportedly extorted GH₵280.5 million from oil marketing companies and laundered the proceeds through three companies, including Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited.
The Accra High Court granted bail to all seven individuals on July 23, with stringent conditions. Dr. Abdul-Hamid was required to post GH₵2 million bail with two sureties, each earning a net monthly salary of at least GH₵5,000, and to report to the OSP biweekly.
The other six accused persons, including Jacob Kwamina Amuah (UPPF Coordinator), Wendy Newman (NPA staff), and directors of the implicated companies, were also granted GH₵2 million bail each but needed three sureties, one of whom must provide landed property as security.
However, they were unable to meet the bail condition, hence their detention. The three companies charged are not subject to bail conditions.
The case has been adjourned to August 26, 2025, for substantive hearings. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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