On November 13, the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra will hear Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid’s application for the release of his passport in the ongoing GH¢291 million case involving allegations of extortion, abuse of office, and money laundering against him and nine others in connection with the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
Dr. Abdul-Hamid claims that the release of his passport is required to allow him to travel to Canada for a political engagement.
However, the Republic has expressed opposition to the application.
The accused is still on the OSP’s stop list after the court ordered him to turn in his passport as part of his bail requirements.
Under the pretence of official duties, Dr. Abdul-Hamid and nine other people were accused by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) of extorting hundreds of millions of cedis and foreign currency from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies. The proceeds were then allegedly laundered through business entities and property purchases to hide their illegal origins.
Jacob Kwamina Anwan, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah are the other nine. Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited are among the corporate entities accused.
Tanker trucks, gas stations, homes, apartments, and property parcels worth more than GH¢100 million have all been seized and frozen by the OSP while the defendants are on trial.
According to investigators, the accused reportedly ran a concerted plan that targeted Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), with the money that was laundered going to luxury homes, cars, and petrol stations.
In relation to the continuing extortion and money laundering case, Dr. Abdul-Hamid was given GH¢2 million in bail on July 23.
He must provide two sureties who each make a net monthly wage of at least GH¢5,000 as part of his bail requirements, and the amounts must be justified.
As the investigations and proceedings continue, he was also required to report to the OSP once every two weeks.
Between 2022 and 2024, Dr. Abdul-Hamid, the first accused in the case, and his co-defendants were accused of participating in a massive corruption conspiracy that involved the illicit syphoning of enormous quantities of money within the petroleum industry.
Source: newsthemegh.com