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The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed criminal charges against ten individuals and three companies over their alleged involvement in a GHC280 million extortion and money laundering scheme linked to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
Among those charged is the former Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, along with other current and former officials of the Authority and directors of private companies believed to have been used to conceal proceeds of the alleged crime.
In a statement released on Wednesday, July 17, 2025, the OSP said the charges follow an extensive investigation into the diversion of public funds between 2022 and 2024. The investigations uncovered an illegal scheme involving the unlawful collection of funds from petroleum transporters and oil marketing companies, orchestrated by some NPA officials.
According to the OSP, the scheme was initiated by Abdul-Hamid and executed with the help of Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) and managing director of Propnest, Kel Logistics, and Kings Energy, and Wendy Newman, a staff member of the NPA.
Amuah is alleged to have paid GHC24 million directly to Abdul-Hamid in 2024. Additionally, GHC227.2 million was reportedly collected by Newman under Amuah’s instruction and transferred through various channels. The funds were subsequently laundered through Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited, companies directed by other accused persons.
The alleged proceeds were used to purchase real estate, oil distribution trucks, and construct fuel stations in an attempt to disguise the source of the funds.
The individuals and entities charged are:
Mustapha Abdul-Hamid – former CEO, NPA
Jacob Kwamina Amuah – UPPF Coordinator and Managing Director of Propnest, Kel Logistics, and Kings Energy
Wendy Newman – staff, NPA
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
Propnest Limited
Kel Logistics Limited
Kings Energy Limited
The charges include 25 counts in total, ranging from extortion by a public officer to conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).
One individual, Osei Tutu Adjei, a director of Kel Logistics Limited, is currently at large and being pursued by authorities.
The accused are expected to appear before the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra for plea proceedings on a date yet to be confirmed.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has reiterated its commitment to combating corruption and urged public institutions and citizens to report suspected acts of misconduct and financial crime.
