The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has confiscated assets worth over GH¢100 million and US$100,000 in response to claims of a massive money-laundering and extortion plot in the industry.
The OSP claims that the State and the petroleum industry lost more than GH¢291 million and more than US$330,000 as a result of the alleged plan. Investigators are currently actively tracing further properties.
The Criminal High Court in Accra is now trying former NPA CEO Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid on several charges of corruption and associated offences.
The public officer and two NPA officials are accused of conspiring to extort GH¢291,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47 from oil marketing businesses and bulk oil transporters between December 2022 and December 2024.
Under the pretence of official duties, a public official unlawfully received GH¢24 million and GH¢230,000 from oil transporters and haulage companies in two cases of extortion.
For allegedly misusing his position for personal advantage and enriching himself with GH¢24 million and GH¢230,000, he faces two counts of Using Public Office for Profit.
Money laundering because GH¢15,343,251.29 was reportedly in his possession and was thought to be a disproportionate amount of money from criminal activity compared to his actual salary.
The OSP stated that the assets were seized and frozen because of transactional, banking, and documentary evidence that connected the accused to the alleged offences. It also stated that further properties thought to have been obtained illegally had been found as a result of ongoing investigations.
In a widely shared viral video on social media, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has characterised the ongoing criminal proceedings as “useless” and politically motivated.
In response, the OSP has emphasised that Abdul-Hamid is facing significant allegations that are backed up by a wealth of evidence of financial malfeasance and corruption, underscoring its dedication to maintaining accountability and transparency in the petroleum industry.
Source: newsthemegh.com