Lawyers of former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid have filed an application at the Accra High Court seeking for the charges against him to be struck out.
The former NPA boss together with nine others have been charged with 54 counts of offenses including extortion, abuse of public office and money laundering in the total sum of GHC291million and $332,407.47.
The accused persons which include UPPF Coordinator Jacob Kwamina Amuah, NPA staff member Wendy Newman, company directors Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, as well as PropNest Ltd., Kel Logistics Ltd., and Kings Energy Ltd have pleaded not guilty and are on bail.
In court on Wednesday, December 17, lawyers of Hamid, led by Joseph Kpemka told the court that they had not been served with the affidavit in opposition filed by the prosecution.
Presiding judge Audrey Kocuvie-Tay had earlier indicated that there was an application on notice to strike out the charges against Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and asked the defense counsel if they had been served by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
The court further noted that although the application had been brought by the first accused person, an order would be made to the registrar of this court to produce true copies of the application to the bailiffs to be served on the other accused persons by close of Thursday, December 18.
Additionally, Justice Kocuvie-Tay ordered the prosecution to also serve the affidavit in opposition to the accused persons and added that she expected the accused persons to show up in court at the next adjourned date.
She subsequently adjourned the case to Monday, December 22 to hear the former NPA Chief Executive’s application to strike out the charges against him.
Background
Per the brief facts of the case, the First, Second, and Third accused persons allegedly orchestrated an extortion scheme between 2022 and December 2024, unlawfully collecting GH¢291,574,087.19 and US$332,407 from oil marketing companies and bulk oil transporters.
According to the OSP, the scheme was initiated by Dr. Abdul-Hamid, executed by UPPF Coordinator Jacob Kwamina Amuah, and facilitated by NPA staff member Wendy Newman, who they allege, acted as the main conduit for receiving the funds.
The investigators also alleged that portions of the proceeds were laundered through the three accused companies to acquire lands, residential properties, fuel stations, and trucks.
