Court adjourns trial of Mustapha Hamid, nine others to Jan. 19

The trial of former National Petroleum Authority Chief Executive, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and nine others has been pushed to January 19 after they reappeared before Criminal Court 4 on Tuesday to answer a consolidated set of charges filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

Prosecutors read a 54-count charge sheet that includes extortion, using public office for profit, money laundering, and conspiracy. All ten accused pleaded not guilty.

According to investigators, the first three accused allegedly ran an extortion scheme from 2022 to 2024, taking more than GH¢291 million and US$332,000 from oil marketing companies and fuel transporters.

Part of that money was allegedly cleaned through three companies to buy land, homes, fuel stations, and trucks, a method prosecutors say was meant to hide the source of the funds.

The judge adopted the core bail terms earlier set by a separate court, adding a requirement that the accused report to the Registrar on the first and last Tuesday of every month.

The prosecution was ordered to file all mandatory disclosures by January 12, 2026. The case will return for a Case Management Conference on January 19, 2026.