The High Court has dismissed a motion filed by former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive Officer, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and seven others seeking to strike out corruption and money laundering charges against them.
The ruling clears the path for the substantive trial to proceed in full.
Dr Abdul-Hamid is standing trial alongside former Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) Coordinator, Jacob Kwamina Amuah; NPA staff member Wendy Newman; Bright Bediako-Mensah; and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah.
Three corporate entities — Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited — are also joined to the suit.
The accused persons had submitted an application asking the court to quash the charges. However, the presiding judge threw out the application, ruling that it lacked merit.
The State has brought 54 counts against the accused persons. The charges encompass corruption and corruption-related offences, extortion, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit a crime.
According to the prosecution’s case, between 2022 and December 2024, an estimated GH¢291.57 million and US$332,407 were unlawfully siphoned through an intricate scheme involving officials at the petroleum regulatory body.
The State further alleges that portions of the illicit funds were subsequently channelled through companies connected to some of the accused persons. The monies were allegedly used to finance commercial transactions, including the acquisition of land, residential buildings, heavy-duty trucks, and fuel stations.
With the preliminary objection dismissed, the court will now fix a date for the prosecution to open its case.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
