Proceedings in the high-profile trial of former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, have been halted after his legal team challenged the authority of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to prosecute the case.

The High Court in Accra adjourned the matter to May 26, 2026, after arguments centred on a recent ruling that questioned the prosecutorial powers of the anti-graft body.

When the case was called on April 21, counsel for Dr Abdul-Hamid, Akbar Khomeini, raised objections to the standing of the prosecutor, citing a decision by another High Court which declared the OSP’s authority to prosecute as void in the absence of prior authorisation.

Responding to the challenge, Principal Prosecutor Adelaide Kubiri Woode told the court that the OSP had already filed an application for a stay of execution of the ruling delivered by Justice John Eugene Nyadu Nyante the previous week.

The presiding judge, Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga, subsequently adjourned proceedings to allow time for the determination of the application, effectively pausing the trial.

The case forms part of a wider prosecution by the OSP involving alleged financial misconduct in Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.

Prosecutors accuse Dr Abdul-Hamid and two officials of the National Petroleum Authority of orchestrating a scheme to extort more than GH¢291 million and $323,407.47 from oil marketing companies and bulk oil transporters between 2022 and December 2024.

The co-accused include Jacob Kwamina Amuah, a coordinator of the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund, and Wendy Newman, a staff member of the authority.

According to the prosecution, the alleged scheme involved the unlawful collection of funds from industry players under various pretexts, raising concerns about regulatory oversight within the sector.

Three private sector executives have also been charged for their alleged roles in concealing proceeds of the suspected scheme. They are Isaac Mensa, a director of Kel Logistics Limited; Bright Bediako-Mensah, a director of Kel Logistics and Kings Energy Limited; and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, a director of Kings Energy Limited.

All the accused persons have pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail.