Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority, Mustapha Hamid, PhD, has welcomed the decision by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to take him to court.
He has denied any wrongdoing in the performance of his duty and believes that the court will help him clear his name.
Speaking to Africa Report in an interview after the OSP released a statement announcing he and some others have been charged, he said:
“I have never solicited nor received any illegal payments in the performance of my duties,” he tells The Africa Report. “I welcome the opportunity to clear myself in court.”
Ghana’s special prosecutor charged the former chief executive officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and six others in connection with an extortion and money laundering scheme involving over GHC280m ($28m).
Per the OSP’s statement, the seven individuals and three companies face 25 counts, including extortion by a public officer and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Meanwhile, the OSP explains that the scheme started between 2022 and December 2024, was orchestrated by Abdul-Hamid, the former coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF), Jacob Kwamina Amuah, and Wendy Newman, who is a staff member of the National Petroleum Authority.
The three accused allegedly exploited their office to extort more than GHC280.5m from petroleum transporters and oil marketing companies.
