Ghana prosecutor charge ex-petroleum authority CEO, six odas ova alleged $28m extortion and money laundering scheme
Dem tok say dem charge oga Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, di former CEO and di oda staff and companies bifor di high court for Accra - e dey inside one statement from di prosecutor office.
Dis na di list of di accused pipo
According to di special prosecutor, dem investigate dis mata since 2024 into wetin dem describe as "alleged unlawful conduct wey involve diversion of public funds and collusion wit oil marketing and bulk distribution companies."
How di extortion and money laundering happun
Di special prosecutor tok say between 2022 and December 2024, di first three accused pipo - Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah and Wendy Newman bin allegedly use dia official job for di national petroleum authority to operate criminal extortion scheme.
Di accused pipo bin use dis ogbonge scheme to allegedly collect GHc 280m ($27m) from petroleum transporters and oil marketing companies.
For dis scheme, di prosecutors office tok say di former CEO oga Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and di two oda staff (Jacob and Wendy) bin take advantage of dia position inside di NPA "without lawful mandate."
According to di OSP, oga Jacob Amuah bin allegedly carry GHC24m ($2.3m) give di former CEO Mustapha Hamid directly between January and December 2024.
"Dem bin carry additional GHC227.2m ($22m) through Wendy Newman under di direction of Jacob Amuah."
Di OSP add say "investigations don further show say di oda accused pipo - Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako Mensah and Kwaku Aboagye Acquah in collaboration wit anoda director for Kels Logistics, bin create wey dem use Propnest, Kel logistics and Kings energy, as vehicles for laundering di illegal moni."
Dem bin allegedly "use di moni to buy trucks for oil distribution business, dem also build fuel stations as part of di effort to hide and disguise di source of di criminal proceeds."
Di special prosecutor bin charge di individuals and di three companies wit 25 counts.
Dis counts include
According to di office of di special prosecutor, one pesin oga Osei Tutu Adjei wey be director for di ninth accused company, dey at large.
Di kontri dey pursue dis accused pipo wia dem go appear bifor court and dem go take dia plea.
Wetin di former petroleum authority CEO tok
For February dis year, di special prosecutor oga Kissi Agyebeng for one press conference don tok say dem dey investigate di former petroleum authority boss ova dis mata.
Im tok say if dem finish dia investigation, dem go tok di pipo of Ghana wetin dem find.
But afta dat press conference, di ex - NPA boss Mustapha Abdul-Hamid write for im social media page say im go dey available for any investigation.
"As at dis afternoon (12 February 2025), I neva receive any invitation from any state investigation body, wey I neva dey under investigation for any alleged crime," Mustapha Abdul-Hamid tok.
Im add say "however, I dey willing to avail myself to assist for any investigation about di alleged embezzlement of funds."
Di OSP later don explain say dem neva dey tok pipo dem dey investigate say dem dey do investigation unless dem finish gathering dia information bifor dem go "put di facts bifor di suspects and accused pipo."
Oga Mustapha Abdul-Hamid no make any fresh comments for di latest charges against im and di 6 oda accused pipo.
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