The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has confirmed that the case involving the alleged sexual abuse and death of 16-year-old footballer Ransford Owusu Ansah of Siano Soccer Academy has been referred to the Homicide Unit of the CID Headquarters for further investigation.

In a statement released on November 7, 2025, the Ministry expressed deep sympathy to the victim’s family and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring justice.

“We empathise deeply with the bereaved family. The Ministry emphasizes that crime has no expiration and remains committed to pursuing justice for the victim and his family,” the statement read.

Ransford was allegedly sodomised by his coach, Ibrahim Anyass, while under his care at the Siano Soccer Academy in Amasaman. Preliminary findings indicated that the teenager had lived with the coach for about three years, during which the abuse allegedly took place without his mother’s knowledge.

The victim reportedly began receiving treatment in December 2024 and was later admitted to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), where he sadly passed away.

Following the incident, the Siano Soccer Academy management suspended the coach and pledged full cooperation with police investigators.

The Ministry said it had taken a keen interest in the case, and through the Ashanti Regional Directorate of Gender, it initiated follow-up investigations and engaged the family and relevant stakeholders.

Since February 2025, the Ministry has also engaged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to strengthen child protection systems within football institutions. The academy has since been temporarily closed pending the outcome of investigations.

The statement added that the Ministry, through its Orange Support Centre (OSC) and the Departments of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, continues to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to ensure justice for all children.

The Ministry urged the public to report any suspected cases of child abuse or violence to the Domestic Violence Call Centre (0800-111-222) or at the nearest DOVVSU or Social Welfare office.

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.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, has appeared before the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for questioning in connection with an alleged GH¢4 million bribe attempt.

This development follows Mr. Kotey’s recent public disclosure that some influential individuals had offered him GH¢4 million to stop the rollout of the new Digitalised Vehicle Registration Plate (DP) policy.

According to him, the bribe was meant to persuade him to abandon the initiative, which seeks to reduce vehicle-related fraud and enhance road safety across Ghana.

In a statement, the OSP confirmed that the DVLA boss was invited to assist in ongoing investigations. The Special Prosecutor’s office noted that it aims to verify the details of the alleged bribe and identify those involved.

Sources say the interrogation is currently underway at the OSP’s headquarters, though specific details are yet to be released.

Meanwhile, the OSP has also launched a separate investigation into a sitting member of the Council of State over alleged corruption and corruption-related offences linked to gold trading.

According to reports, the probe focuses on suspicions that the Council member may have used his position to influence the granting of a gold licence to a company in which he allegedly holds undisclosed interests.