Bright Simons Criticises Lack of Prosecutorial Clarity in GHS 280m NPA Extortion Case
Public Policy Analyst, Bright Simons, has raised concerns over what he described as the “routine absence of detailed prosecutorial narratives” in high-profile cases brought by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), after it accused Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), of extorting GHS 280m from fuel traders during his tenure.
In a post on social media platform X, Simons said: “The charges filed outline the offences in standard legalese — a routine practice in Ghana. What is missing is a narration of how this ‘extortion’ happened and the prosecution’s detailed account of the wrongdoing.”
He added that such detailed descriptions, outlining the prosecution’s “theory of the case”, are standard in jurisdictions including South Africa, India, and the United States, and help build public trust in judicial processes.
The OSP, established in 2018 to investigate and prosecute corruption-related offences, has frequently come under fire for protracted investigations and limited case closure rates. Critics say the office’s approach has lacked the robust transparency needed to secure public confidence and judicial accountability.
“In Ghana, one has to wait until a whole load of other filings have been made in court over a period of time to piece together the full essence of the prosecutor’s case,” Simons noted, warning that drawn-out trials risk public disengagement and eventual case abandonment.
The comments come amid rising public pressure on Ghana’s justice system to deliver timely and credible outcomes in corruption prosecutions, particularly those involving high-level political and public officeholders.
Simons, who has advocated for greater prosecutorial clarity, said he supports recent efforts by Ghana’s Attorney General to provide detailed accounts of criminal conduct in press briefings and court filings. “The only reason why people have an issue with that is because they are unused to serious accountability,” he argued.
Dr Abdul-Hamid and others charged in the extortion case have yet to publicly respond to the allegations. The OSP has also not released further details beyond the official charge sheet.
The case is expected to proceed through the courts over the coming months.
