Ghana’s anti-corruption agency has filed multiple charges against the former boss of the country’s oil regulator and several others over an alleged $28 million corruption and money laundering operation.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) announced on Thursday that it has charged Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), along with six other individuals and three companies.
The charges relate to suspected unlawful activities carried out between 2022 and December 2024.
According to the OSP, Abdul-Hamid was allegedly at the center of the operation, receiving over $2.3 million in direct payments as part of a broader illegal scheme.
The charges include extortion by a public officer and money laundering, totaling 25 counts.
Among the accused are Jacob Kwamina Amuah, a former coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund, and Wendy Newman, an NPA staff member.
They are believed to have worked closely to collect illegal payments from petroleum marketing firms and transport operators.
The funds were reportedly funneled through shell companies and used to acquire properties, trucks, and fuel stations.
The OSP stated that some of the companies involved in the scheme were set up specifically to hide the source of the illicit funds.
A director linked to one of these firms is currently on the run.
This case is part of a larger anti-corruption drive launched in early 2025 by President John Mahama, who returned to office in January.
The campaign aims to retrieve stolen public funds and clean up government institutions. Since its launch, several individuals have been arrested or charged, and more are under investigation.
Abdul-Hamid and the others are expected to appear in court as the legal process begins. He has denied any wrongdoing and has expressed readiness to defend himself.