Press Briefing Remarks Land OSP in GH¢20M Defamation Case

Dr. Mustapha Abdul Hamid, former head of the National Petroleum Authority, has initiated a defamation lawsuit against the Office of the Spec...

Dr. Mustapha Abdul Hamid, former head of the National Petroleum Authority, has initiated a defamation lawsuit against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) concerning claims that associate him with the alleged misuse of GH¢1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Price Fund.

The legal document, submitted at the High Court in Accra by his lawyer, A. A. Somuah-Asamoah from Appiade Chambers, claims that during a press conference on 12 February 2025, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng, made remarks that publicly associated Dr Hamid with allegations of embezzlement, which he has strongly refuted.

Strangely, only 24 hours after submitting the defamation lawsuit, the Accra High Court was forced to reschedule the arguments of Abdul-Hamid and nine others to 9 December 2025, because of the OSP's allegations against them.

This occurred because the Office of the Special Prosecutor had once more modified the charges against the ten individuals being prosecuted, increasing them from 24 to 54 counts, based on fresh evidence. This marks the third set of charges filed against the accused.

The updated indictment outlines 54 criminal charges directed at officials from the NPA and various affiliated companies, alleging widespread extortion, misuse of public office, and money laundering totaling GH₵297,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47.

Yesterday, Thursday, November 13, 2025, in court, attorneys representing the Special Prosecutor's Office informed the court that they were prepared to withdraw the previous charge sheet and submit the revised version, in order to allow the accused individuals to enter their pleas.

Nevertheless, they were told that the case had been transferred to another court, the Fourth Criminal Court.

The lead prosecutor subsequently requested the court's approval for a postponement, allowing the withdrawal to take place on the same day the case is scheduled to be heard at the newly designated court.

The Supreme Court, led by Judge Bertha Aniagyei, approved the request since the defense attorneys of the accused did not object to the motion.

The matter has been postponed until December 9.

Dr. Mustapha Abdul Hamid has submitted a legal petition at the High Court, challenging the OSP, and is requesting four main remedies, including an official statement confirming that the OSP's statements were illegal and damaging to reputation.

He is also seeking GH¢20 million in compensation, a complete retraction of the statements, and an unconditional public apology.

Furthermore, he is seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the OSP from issuing any additional defamatory statements, along with a ruling that the office should cover the expenses of the legal case.

As per the court filings, the remarks delivered during the press conference have resulted in substantial harm to Dr. Hamid's reputation, both within Ghana and on a global scale.

They claim that the comments have resulted in the loss of advisory and teaching positions, causing him significant emotional and career-related hardship.

The document also states that Dr. Hamid was not made aware of any active inquiry and was not provided a chance to comment prior to the allegations being disclosed.

The lawsuit, submitted to the High Court's General Jurisdiction Division, highlights wider issues regarding the way state organizations convey accusations during public meetings and the possible damage to an individual's reputation that may arise from these processes.

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