Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has denied that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has seized any property from him in connection with ongoing investigations during his tenure.
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The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on Tuesday [Nov 4] said it had made significant progress in its efforts to recover suspected illicit assets with the seizure and freezing of properties valued at more than GH¢100 million and over US$100,000 in the ongoing investigations at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
According to the OSP, further assets remain under active tracing as part of an ongoing financial crime investigation.
The OSP stated that these actions were supported by robust documentary, banking, and transaction evidence believed to link the seized assets to alleged criminal conduct.
The OSP's disclosure on Tuesday followed a video [attached below] in which Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the former CEO of the NPA, dismissed his ongoing criminal case as “useless.”
Following the video, the OSP said it was important to restate the facts behind Mustapha Abdul-Hamid's prosecution and why the State considers the case both serious and substantial.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid, the first accused, is standing trial before the Criminal High Court in Accra on several counts of corruption and financial crimes.
But reacting to the OSP's statement, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, through his lawyer, insisted that "no assets or businesses belonging to or associated" with him have been identified, traced, or seized by the OSP.
"Our client owns no such assets, directly or indirectly, and no property worth the stated amount exists anywhere in connection with him," his lawyer stated in a press statement.
Quoting the quoran, Dr Abdul-Hamid wrote on Facebook, "That He (Allah) might cause the truth to triumph and bring falsehood to nothing, even though the mujirimun hate it” (Q:8:8).
Read also: OSP seizes assets worth over GH¢100m in NPA investigations
Attached below is the reaction from Dr Abdul-Hamid's lawyer
November 5, 2025
PRESS STATEMENT
RE: OSP'S FALSE CLAIMS ON ALLEGED GH¢100m ASSET SEIZURE OF DR. MUSTAPHA ABDUL-HAMID.
The attention of our client, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has been drawn to a recent publication by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on its official Facebook page, purporting that assets valued at over GH¢100 million and allegedly linked to him have been seized as part of ongoing investigations and prosecution in the NPA case.
As counsel for Dr. Abdul-Hamid, we wish to place on record, emphatically and without ambiguity, that no assets or businesses belonging to or associated with our client have been identified, traced, or seized by the OSP. Our client owns no such assets, directly or indirectly, and no property worth the stated amount exists anywhere in connection with him.
In fact, the OSP's own amended charge sheet filed on 17th October 2025 lists five counts of alleged offences against our client. Not even one of those charges mentions, refers to, or concerns any asset or business purportedly owned by Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid. Similarly, the accompanying statement of facts filed by the OSP is devoid of any reference to the supposed assets.
It is therefore false, misleading, and injurious for the OSP to make public assertions inconsistent with its own court filings in respect of Dr. Mustapha Abdul Hamid.
The OSP, as a public institution established under law, is reminded that its officers are bound by constitutional and ethical obligations to discharge their duties with fairness, integrity, and respect for the rights and dignity of all persons including persons they have arraigned before court.
Engaging in public commentary that distorts facts before the court is inconsistent with those obligations and unbecoming of the prosecutorial office.
Our client, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has at all times cooperated fully with the OSP. From the commencement of investigations, he has honored its invitation, availed himself whenever required, and appeared before the court at every sitting. His record of conduct throughout these proceedings has been one of respect for our judicial process.
It is, therefore, deeply regrettable that instead of complying with the orders of the court, including the directive to file its disclosures, the OSP has chosen to engage in public theatrics and false reportage. We advise the OSP to devote its energies to prosecutorial diligence rather than media sensationalism.
We further remind the public that Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid remains innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the 1992 Constitution. Any attempt to prejudice public opinion through misinformation undermines the rule of law and the integrity of the judicial process.
Hanifa Yahaya Esq.
For: HAY & PARTNERS ATLAW
What the OSP said
The OSP in its media statement on Tuesday said it had made significant progress in its efforts to recover suspected illicit assets with the seizure and freezing of properties valued at more than GH¢100 million and over US$100,000 in the ongoing investigations at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
According to the OSP, further assets remain under active tracing as part of an ongoing financial crime investigation.
Attached below is a copy of the post by the OSP on social media
Following a video in which the former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, dismissed his ongoing criminal case as “useless,” it is important to restate the facts behind his prosecution and why the State considers the case both serious and substantial.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid, the first accused, is standing trial before the Criminal High Court in Accra on several counts of serious corruption and financial crimes. These include:
*Conspiracy to Commit Extortion by a Public Officer– jointly with two NPA officials, accused of plotting to extort GH¢291,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47 from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies between December 2022 and December 2024.
*Two Counts of Extortion by a Public Officer– an unlawful receipt of GH¢24 million and GH¢230,000 from oil transporters and haulage companies under the guise of official duties.
*Two Counts of Using Public Office for Profit– accused of abusing his office as NPA Chief Executive for private gain, unlawfully enriching himself with GH¢24 million and GH¢230,000.
*Money Laundering– found to be in possession of GH¢15,343,251.29, an amount disproportionate to his known legitimate income and suspected to be proceeds of crime.
In total, Dr. Abdul-Hamid is alleged to have played a leading role in a grand extortion and laundering scheme that caused the State and petroleum sector losses exceeding GH¢291 million and over US$330,000.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has already seized and frozen assets valued at more than GH¢100 million and over US$100,000, with additional assets under active tracing. These actions are based on strong documentary, banking, and transaction evidence linking the proceeds to the alleged offences.
This case represents a major step in protecting public funds, ensuring accountability in the petroleum sector, and affirming that no public official is above the law. The seriousness of the charges and the scale of the alleged losses make this prosecution a critical test of Ghana’s commitment to fighting corruption.
The next court date is Thursday, 13 November 2025.
Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh
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