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Former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and seven other accused persons have been granted bail totalling GH¢16 million after pleading not guilty to fresh charges brought by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The eight accused returned to court on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, where their pleas were retaken following the filing of a revised charge sheet by the OSP. This comes after prosecutors dropped charges against two individuals linked to Kels Logistics, reducing the number of defendants standing trial.
Each of the accused persons was granted bail in the sum of GH¢2 million with two sureties. The court directed that one surety must be a public servant earning at least GH¢5,000 monthly, while the other is required to deposit valid identification documents. Additionally, one surety must provide landed property documents to the court registry.
As part of the bail conditions, the accused have been ordered to surrender their passports and report to investigators at the OSP every two weeks. They have also been placed on a stop list at all entry and exit points in the country.
Counsel for the first accused, Joseph Kpenka, appealed to the court to maintain earlier bail conditions granted in July and December 2025, arguing that the accused persons had consistently complied with all requirements and cooperated with investigators. The court subsequently upheld similar conditions while granting the new bail.
The case stems from allegations that between 2022 and December 2024, some officials of the NPA orchestrated an unlawful scheme to extort funds from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies. Prosecutors claim the accused collected over GH¢291 million and more than $332,000 without legal authority.
Investigations further allege that portions of the funds were channelled through a network of companies to conceal their origins, with assets acquired as part of efforts to launder the proceeds.
The accused persons are expected to reappear in court as the trial continues.
Yaw Boagyan
