The Accra High Court has varied the bail terms of former National Petroleum Authority Chief Executive Officer, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and nine others.
Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and the nine other accused persons are standing trial for multiple offences including extortion, abuse of public office and money laundering.
They have pleaded not guilty and are on GHc2million bail each with three sureties.
Per the previous bail conditions Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid(A1), Jacob Kwamina Amuah(A2), and Wendy Newman(A3) were to report to the Registrar of the Court while the remaining were to report to the Registry.
In court on Monday, December 22, lawyers for the former National Petroleum Authority CEO were expecting to move a motion to strike out the charges against their client having served the other accused persons with the application. But before they could proceed, presiding judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay indicated that there was an application to vary the bail conditions filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor as well as an affidavit in opposition to their application to strike out the charge.
Counsel for Mustapha Hamid, Joseph Kpemka as well as the lawyers for the other nine accused persons all opposed the grant of variation of bail conditions.
In exercising her discretion however, Justice Kocuvie-Tay granted the variation of bail application and subsequently ordered all the accused persons to report to the investigators, which is the Office of the Special Prosecutor every Tuesday until the final determination of the matter in court.
Joseph Kpemka for Mustapha Abdul-Hamid then prayed for leave of the court to enable them file their written submissions with regards to the application to strike out the charges against his client after noting that the grounds of his application were grounded in law.
Principal Prosecutor, Adelaide Kobiri-Woode with the OSP also prayed the court for leave of the court to file their written submissions.
Lawyers for the nine accused persons also made similar prayers to file their affidavits.
The case has since been adjourned to January 14, 2026.
Background
Per the Prosecution’s facts of the case, the accused persons are former NPA CEO Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, 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.
According to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (investigators), 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.
They note that the alleged scheme was initiated by Dr. Abdul-Hamid, executed by Jacob Amuah, and facilitated by Wendy Newman, who acted as the main conduit for receiving the funds.
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The OSP adds that portions of the proceeds were laundered through the three accused companies to acquire lands, residential properties, fuel stations, and trucks—moves allegedly designed to disguise the illicit origins of the funds.
By Laud Adu-Asare
