Former NPA Boss, 9 Others Charged With Allegedly Extorting Over GH¢291 Million From Petroleum Companies

The former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has been dragged before the Criminal High Court in Accra along with nine other individuals and companies. They are accused of conspiring to extort more than GH¢291 million from players within Ghana’s petroleum sector.

According to a charge sheet filed by state prosecutors at the Criminal High Court (Accra), the group — which includes senior NPA officials and three private companies — allegedly worked together to unlawfully demand huge sums of money from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies between December 2022 and December 2024.

Who is Involved

The accused individuals are:

• Mustapha Abdul-Hamid (54) – Former NPA CEO

• Jacob Kwamina Amuah (57) – Former Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF)

• Wendy Newman (40) – NPA Audit Department staff

• Albert Ankrah

• Isaac Mensah

• Bright Bediako-Mensah

• Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah

The companies cited in the case are:

• PropNest Limited

• KEL Logistics Limited

• Kings Energy Limited

Details of the Allegations

Prosecutors claim that the accused persons “agreed to act together with a common purpose” to demand and receive money from petroleum companies, even though they had no lawful authority to do so.

The total amount allegedly extorted includes:

• GH¢291,574,087.19

• US$332,407.47

Dr. Abdul-Hamid, who previously served as a minister and is known within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), faces additional personal charges.

Charges Against Dr. Abdul-Hamid

• Count Two: He is alleged to have personally received GH¢24 million for his own benefit between January and December 2024. The money was reportedly collected through the then-UPPF Coordinator, Jacob Kwamina Amuah.

• Count Three: Prosecutors allege that between July 2022 and March 2023, during his tenure as both NPA CEO and Chairperson of the UPPF Management Committee, he again engaged in acts of extortion.

The case is expected to be heard in the coming days as the court takes up the charges.