The High Court has dismissed an application by former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive Officer Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and seven others seeking to have corruption charges against them struck out.
The ruling clears the way for the substantive trial in the case to continue.
The case, brought by the Republic, involves Mr Abdul-Hamid, former Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) Coordinator Jacob Kwamina Amuah, NPA staff member Wendy Newman, Bright Bediako-Mensah and Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah.
Three companies, Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited and Kings Energy Limited, are also facing charges.
The accused persons had asked the High Court to strike out the charges, but the court dismissed the application as without merit.
The Republic has filed 54 charges against the accused persons, including corruption and corruption-related offences, extortion, money laundering and conspiracy to commit a crime.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences were committed between 2022 and December 2024 as part of a scheme involving officials of the NPA.
The state alleges that about GH¢291.57 million and US$332,407 were unlawfully obtained through the scheme.
It further alleges that some of the money was later channelled through companies linked to some of the accused persons.
The prosecution says the funds were used in a number of transactions, including the acquisition of land and buildings, as well as trucks and fuel stations.
The accused persons have denied the allegations.
With the High Court rejecting their application to strike out the charges, the case will now proceed to the substantive trial, where the prosecution will have to prove its allegations against the accused persons.
