The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has amended the charges in the case of The Republic v. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and Nine Others, increasing the counts from 25 to 54 after the discovery of new evidence during ongoing investigations.
The case, which is being heard in court today, Monday, October 20, involves officials of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and several associated companies accused of large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering.
According to the amended charge sheet, the alleged offences involve sums totalling GH¢291,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47. The accused are alleged to have extorted hundreds of millions of cedis from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies under the guise of official duties, later laundering the proceeds through property acquisitions and business entities to conceal their illicit origins.
Those charged include Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, and three companies — Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited.
The OSP in a Facebook post on Monday said it has also frozen a number of assets pending trial, including vehicles such as tanker trucks, fuel stations, residential properties, and parcels of land valued at over GH¢100 million.
The case continues in court.
