An Accra High Court judge has refused a request to postpone the trial of former National Petroleum Authority chief executive Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and five others until October, saying he will continue hearing the case during the legal vacation unless the Chief Justice withdraws his authority to sit.
Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga made the ruling after lawyers for five of the accused asked for the proceedings to be adjourned until October. Ghana’s legal vacation runs through August and September.
One defence lawyer told the court he had already booked a flight to travel outside the jurisdiction to deal with urgent personal matters during the vacation. Other lawyers also said they had existing commitments and asked the judge to delay the case.
Justice Achibonga said the Chief Justice had specifically issued a warrant allowing the court to sit during the vacation.
He said that if the case were intended to resume only in October, there would have been no reason for that warrant to be issued. The judge added that the hearings would continue in line with the Chief Justice’s directive until the warrant was revoked.
Justice Achibonga also said that lawyers seeking to travel were members of a law firm and that their firm should therefore be able to provide another lawyer to represent the accused when necessary.
He gave the accused persons until the next adjourned date, 17 August 2026, to settle their legal representation. If they remain without lawyers, the court will proceed with the Case Management Conference and the accused will have to represent themselves.
The case concerns allegations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that Dr Abdul-Hamid and two officials of the NPA conspired to extort more than GH¢291,574,087.19 and $323,407.47 from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies.
The two NPA officials are Mr Jacob Kwamina Amuah, a coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF), and Ms Wendy Newman, a staff member of the authority.
Prosecutors allege that the scheme operated between 2022 and December 2024 and targeted businesses in Ghana’s petroleum downstream sector. They say money was unlawfully collected under several pretexts.
Three company executives have also been charged with allegedly helping to conceal the proceeds. They are Mr Isaac Mensa, a director of Kel Logistics Limited; Mr Bright Bediako-Mensah, a director of Kel Logistics and Kings Energy Limited; and Mr Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, a director of Kings Energy Limited.
All six accused persons have pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail.
According to the OSP, Dr Abdul-Hamid devised the alleged scheme and presented it to Mr Amuah, while Ms Newman was later recruited as the main channel for receiving the money.
The prosecution further alleges that Mr Amuah handed GH¢24 million directly to Dr Abdul-Hamid between January and December 2024. It also claims Dr Abdul-Hamid received GH¢230,000 directly from a haulage company during the same period.
Investigators allege that part of the total amount was routed through Ms Newman, who distributed the funds on Mr Amuah’s instructions.
The OSP says Mr Mensa, Mr Bediako-Mensah and Mr Acquaah, alongside another associate identified only as Adjei, worked with Mr Amuah and Ms Newman to create and run three companies used to launder the alleged proceeds.
Prosecutors claim the funds were moved through a series of financial transfers and used to buy movable and immovable property. The charge sheet says the purchases included houses, trucks for the oil distribution business and fuel filling stations, with the aim of disguising the money’s alleged unlawful origin and avoiding legal consequences.
