By Stephen Apolima
Accra, Ghana — July 17, 2025
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has formally charged seven individuals and three companies in connection with an elaborate extortion and money laundering scheme within the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), involving over GHC280 million in unlawfully obtained funds.
According to a press statement issued today by the OSP, the charges stem from investigations initiated in late 2024 into alleged diversions of public funds and collusion with petroleum transporters, oil marketing companies (OMCs), and bulk distribution companies (BDCs).
Key Accused Persons and Entities
The individuals charged are:
- Mustapha Abdul-Hamid – Former Chief Executive Officer of the NPA
- Jacob Kwamina Amuah – Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) and Managing Director of three corporate entities
- Wendy Newman – NPA staff
- Albert Ankrah – Director, Kel Logistics Limited
- Isaac Mensah – Director, Kel Logistics Limited
- Bright Bediako-Mensah – Director, Kel Logistics and Kings Energy Limited
- Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah – Director, Kings Energy Limited
The corporate entities facing charges are:
- Propnest Limited
- Kel Logistics Limited
- Kings Energy Limited
Nature of the Scheme
Between 2022 and December 2024, the first three accused persons—Abdul-Hamid, Amuah, and Newman—allegedly orchestrated a criminal enterprise under the guise of official duties. The trio is accused of extorting GHC280,516,127.19 from petroleum transporters and OMCs. The scheme, described by the OSP as “criminal and without lawful mandate,” exploited the accused persons’ positions within the NPA and Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund.
Under the alleged arrangement, Amuah is said to have directly delivered GHC24 million to Abdul-Hamid over the course of 2024. Additionally, GHC227.2 million was reportedly channeled through Newman for subsequent disbursement at Amuah’s direction.
Money Laundering and Asset Acquisition
The OSP’s investigations further uncovered that the fourth to seventh accused persons—Ankrah, Mensah, Bediako-Mensah, and Acquaah—alongside a fugitive director of Kel Logistics Limited, allegedly laundered portions of the extorted funds through the creation and operation of three companies: Propnest Ltd., Kel Logistics Ltd., and Kings Energy Ltd.
These entities were allegedly used to mask the origin of the illicit proceeds through the acquisition of trucks, construction of fuel stations, and purchase of properties. These efforts, according to the OSP, were aimed at “concealing and disguising the origin of the criminal proceeds.”
One additional individual, Osei Tutu Adjei, a director of Kel Logistics Limited, is currently at large and being pursued by authorities.
Legal Charges
All ten accused parties—seven individuals and three companies—are facing 25 counts, including:
- Extortion by a Public Officer, under Section 151 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29)
- Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, under Section 23 of Act 29 and Sections 1(1), 1(2), and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044)
- Money Laundering, under Sections 1(1), 1(2), and 4 of Act 1044
The accused have been arrested and are expected to appear before the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra on a date yet to be announced, for the court to take their pleas.
OSP’s Position
In its statement, the OSP reaffirmed its mandate and commitment to tackling high-level corruption:
“The Office remains committed to investigating and prosecuting corruption and corruption-related offences without fear or favour, and urges all public institutions to remain vigilant and report suspected cases of corruption.”
This case marks one of the largest financial corruption prosecutions undertaken by the OSP to date, and is expected to have far-reaching implications for governance and oversight within Ghana’s petroleum sector.
