Dr. Mustapha Abdul Hamid, the former CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has sued the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for GH20 million in defamation due to allegations that he embezzled GH1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF).
Dr. Hamid is requesting a declaration that the remark made by the OSP during a media briefing on February 12, 2025, was defamatory and had seriously harmed his reputation in a writ filed before the High Court (General Jurisdiction Division) in Accra on November 10, 2025.
Through his solicitors at Applade Chambers, the former NPA boss is requesting a retraction of the OSP’s statement, an unconditional apology, and GH20 million in damages.
Additionally, he is requesting a permanent order from the court to prevent the OSP and its representatives from making any more disparaging comments about him.
The statement of claim states that the OSP mentioned Dr. Hamid as one of four individuals under investigation when it declared in its February briefing that it had started looking into alleged corruption-related crimes concerning the purported misappropriation of GH¢1.3 billion from the UPPF.
In his writ, Dr. Hamid said he had no involvement in any embezzlement and had never been informed of any investigation prior to the briefing.
He said that later events have demonstrated that no such misappropriation took place, characterising the OSP’s allegations as malicious, false, and unwarranted.
Dr. Hamid, the complainant, claimed that the OSP’s public statement had embarrassed him, upset him emotionally, and prevented him from pursuing career opportunities, such as consulting and speaking positions overseas.
He said that his standing as a scholar, statesman, and well-liked public figure had been seriously damaged.
On February 17, 2025, Dr Hamid’s attorneys wrote to the OSP requesting that the alleged defamatory comment be retracted.
On February 19, 2025, the OSP reportedly wrote back, ordering Dr. Hamid to appear before it for questioning regarding the alleged mismanagement of the UPPF, rather than apologising.
Source: newsthemegh.com