Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has vehemently denied allegations from the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) regarding a GHS280 million extortion scheme.
His response comes after the OSP issued a statement announcing that it has filed charges against him and six other individuals.
Lawyers for Dr Abdul-Hamid, responding to the issues raised by the OSP, claimed that their client has not yet been formally charged in court and has not seen any charge sheet.
“Our client denies all the allegations against him,” their statement read, adding that he is “ready to contest all the allegations in the court of law and defend his good name.”
The lawyers stated that the allegations by the OSP have been inconsistent since February 2025.
According to them, the OSP initially investigated Dr Abdul-Hamid for alleged embezzlement of GHS 1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF).
Despite his demand for a retraction of that “defamatory publication”, it was never issued.
He was later questioned on UPPF mismanagement and procurement breaches, the lawyers said.
It added that the latest accusations against the client are in connection with GHS280 million in extortion, with the OSP claiming Dr Abdul-Hamid “initiated” the scheme and directly received GHS24 million.
“Our client categorically denies initiating or being involved in any extortion scheme,” his representatives asserted, also denying any personal benefit.
The lawyers added that audited reports show significant financial growth under his leadership, with key NPA accounts experiencing substantial increases from 2021 to December 31, 2024.
For instance, the UPPF balance grew from GHS53.2 million to GHS1.14 billion.
“Our client has displayed high integrity and competence throughout his entire public life,” the statement concluded. “He is fully prepared to contest any charges levelled against him, and he is confident that the truth of his innocence shall prevail.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
