Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul Hamid, has dragged the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to court, seeking GH¢20 million in damages over what he describes as a false and damaging publication linking him to an alleged GH¢1.3 billion embezzlement from the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF).
The lawsuit, filed on November 10, 2025, at the High Court (General Jurisdiction Division) in Accra, challenges the OSP’s February 12, 2025 media briefing, which publicly named Dr. Hamid among individuals purportedly under investigation for corruption-related offences.
Dr. Hamid, represented by his legal team from Applade Chambers, insists that the OSP’s allegations were baseless, malicious, and defamatory, stressing that he was never informed or invited for any investigation prior to the public announcement.
“The statement by the OSP was not only false but intended to injure my reputation and portray me as corrupt,” Dr. Hamid stated in his claim.
The former NPA boss is asking the court to declare the OSP’s statement defamatory, and to order a full retraction and unqualified apology. He is also seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain the OSP and its agents from making any further defamatory remarks about him.
According to the writ, the OSP’s press briefing claimed to be investigating the alleged embezzlement of GH¢1.3 billion from the UPPF and identified Dr. Hamid as one of four individuals implicated in the case.
However, Dr. Hamid maintains that no such embezzlement occurred and that the claim was fabricated without evidence.
He said the OSP’s public announcement had caused him severe reputational damage, resulting in emotional distress, public ridicule, and loss of professional and consultancy opportunities—particularly with foreign academic institutions and international agencies.
His lawyers further revealed that a formal demand letter was sent to the OSP on February 17, 2025, requesting an immediate retraction and apology. Instead of doing so, the OSP allegedly responded on February 19, 2025, summoning Dr. Hamid for questioning over what it described as “mismanagement of the UPPF.”
The former NPA boss contends that the OSP’s conduct violates the principles of fairness and due process, as it publicly accused him of corruption without evidence or prior engagement.
“The OSP’s actions were reckless and injurious, and they have unjustly destroyed the goodwill I have built over the years as an academic, public servant, and leader,” he noted.
The case has reignited debate about the OSP’s approach to public communication, particularly in relation to ongoing investigations and the potential reputational harm to persons yet to be found culpable.
