An Accra High Court has rejected an application seeking to discharge former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine others standing trial in a high-profile extortion and money laundering case involving an alleged GH¢280 million scheme.
The ruling, delivered on April 21, 2026, marks a significant legal setback for the accused, who had argued that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) lacks the authority to prosecute the case. However, the court dismissed the application, affirming that the OSP’s prosecutorial powers remain valid under existing laws.
According to details shared by the OSP, the defence had relied on ongoing legal challenges questioning the mandate of the anti-corruption body. But the court held that a prior High Court ruling dated April 15, 2026, supports the OSP’s authority, at least until any contrary decision is reached in pending proceedings.
“The High Court today refused an invitation to discharge the accused persons on grounds that the OSP has no prosecutorial powers,” the OSP stated.
The court also noted that related legal proceedings concerning the OSP’s mandate are still ongoing and adjourned the case to May 26, 2026, when there is expected to be greater clarity on the matter.
During the hearing, lawyers for the accused maintained that the charges should be struck out due to what they described as a lack of legal backing for the OSP’s actions. In response, prosecutors insisted that the office continues to operate under laws that “are in force and operation and have not been repealed, amended, revoked or struck down.”
All 10 accused persons, along with implicated corporate entities, have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges.
The case centres on allegations that between 2022 and 2024, the accused orchestrated a coordinated extortion and money laundering scheme targeting Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs). Prosecutors further allege that Abdul-Hamid personally benefited to the tune of GH¢24 million from the purported illegal operation.
The trial is expected to resume in late May as legal arguments over the OSP’s authority continue alongside substantive hearings into the case.
