OSP to press charges against NPA officials over GH¢280 million corruption scandal

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is preparing to bring criminal charges against several senior officials of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) by the end of June, following investigations into a major corruption case involving more than GH¢280 million.

The alleged misconduct took place between 2022 and 2024.

Earlier this year, in February 2025, the OSP revealed that it had launched a probe into the former NPA Chief Executive, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid. He was being investigated for his alleged role in the misappropriation of GH¢1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF).

The investigation also extended to three other NPA officials: Jacob Amuah, UPPF Coordinator; Freda Tandoh; and Wendy Ashong Newman, both staff members of the Authority.

At a press briefing held on the evening of Monday, June 2, 2025, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng confirmed that his office would soon press charges against four high-level NPA officials.

While he did not disclose specific names, he explained that the probe had been ongoing since November 2024, focusing on suspected acts of corruption and related offenses tied to the Authority's operations and the conduct of certain individuals.

According to Mr. Agyebeng, the investigations uncovered that “between 2022 and 2024, some high ranking and other officials of NPA devised and implemented a corrupt scheme of using public office for profit – through threats, intimidation, coercion, suggestions, bribery, and inordinate regulatory duress – to obtain, for their personal benefit, large sums of money from oil marketing companies and other entities under their statutory regulatory, licensing, oversight, and monitoring mandate in the petroleum downstream industry.”

He further disclosed that as of May 30, 2025, the OSP had traced GH¢280,516,127.19 in proceeds linked to the corrupt activities. These funds had been used by those involved to acquire various assets, including apartments, suites, and houses both in Ghana and abroad. Additionally, the OSP had identified twenty-two fuel haulage trucks as well as companies formed by the accused to compete directly with the businesses they were tasked to regulate.

Mr. Agyebeng assured the public that before June ends, his office would initiate legal action against the individuals and companies found to be complicit. He added that once the charges are filed, “we would brief you [public] in detail in respect of who did what, who acquired what, and what has been recovered.”