Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba
The trial of former Chief Executive Officer of National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and nine others accused of GH¢291million extortion, has once again been re-assigned to a different court.
The case has been moved from ‘Criminal Court 4’ back to ‘Criminal Court 3’ where it was initially assigned when the charges were filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
In a similar development, the trial of former Chief Executive Officer of National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, who are accused of stealing GH¢78 million from the state, has also been re-assigned to Criminal Court 3 from Criminal Court 4.
However, both matters which are at case management stages have been adjourned to March 10, 2026, as both the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Special Prosecutor were not served with the hearing notices for the trial.
In the case of the NPA extortion trial, the OSP, which is prosecuting the matter, was not served with the hearing notice although all the accused persons were served.
All the accused, therefore, showed up for the trial but there was no representation from the OSP, leaving Paul Bariga, one of the defence lawyers to the court to discharge the accused persons in accordance with Section 166 (1) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30).
Justice Francis Aponga Achiponga, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge, refused the request, indicating that there is no proof or service of the hearing notice on the OSP for the trial.
The court, after consulting with the defence lawyers, adjourned the case to March 10 for case management conference. All defence lawyers confirmed receiving the OSP’s disclosures.
In the case of the Buffer Stock trial, although Faiza Seidu Wuni was served with the hearing notice, her husband, Hanan Abdul-Wahab was not served, hence his lawyers were absent.
The court also noted that the hearing notice was rather served on the Office of the Special Prosecutor instead of the Office of the Attorney General, which is conducting the prosecution.
When asked why he was present yet his lawyers were not, Mr. Abdul-Wahab told the court neither him nor his lawyers were served with the hearing notice, so “I’m only in court to accompany my wife.”
The court, therefore, adjourned the case to March 10 for adoption of the proceedings and continuation of case management conference.
NPA Extortion
The OSP has charged Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and nine (9) others with 54 criminal charges, accusing them of extorting a total of GH¢291.574 million and $332,407.47 from bulk oil transporters and oil distributors.
The ten – seven (7) individuals and three companies were initially charged with 25 counts of charges, including extortion by a public officer, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.
The individuals are Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) at NPA; Wendy Newman, a staff of NPA; Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, all Directors of Kel Logistics Limited; Bright Bediako-Mensah, Director of Kel Logistics Limited and Kings Energy Limited as well as Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, Director of Kings Energy Limited.
The three companies are Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited and Kings Energy Limited. The OSP says one suspect identified as Osei Tutu Adjei, a Director of Kel Logistics Limited, is currently at large.
Buffer Stock Scandal
Hanan Abdul-Wahab, Faiza Seidu Wuni, together with Richard Sam-Asante, who is said to be on run; the Ludiba Foundation and Energy Partners Limited, two companies related to the couple, have been charged by the Attorney General for allegedly stealing money from the state through a criminal enterprise.
The five are facing 24 counts of charges of stealing, fraudulently causing financial loss to the state, abetment of stealing, money laundering, defrauding by false pretences, intentional dissipation of public funds, using public office for profit, dishonestly receiving and intentionally causing financial loss to the state.
According to the charge sheet, Mr. Abdul-Wahab allegedly stole GH¢50.879 million from NAFCO by transferring it to James Tieku-Apawu, operating under the name Sawtina Enterprise, between February 2017 and February 2025.
Faiza Seidu Wuni allegedly laundered a total of GH¢34,608,834.62 knowing at the time of taking the money that it was acquired through a criminal enterprise.
She is also accused of dishonestly receiving GH¢4,401,831.58 from NAFCO between 2018 and 2023, knowing very well that the money was appropriated through stealing.
Richard Sam-Asante, on the other hand, has been charged for conspiring to steal GH¢5,495.748.36 from the National Food & Buffer Stock Company Limited between February 2017 and February 2019.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak