NPP Kingpins Under Probe: Fair Deal or Witch-Hunt

The number of appointees who served under the Nana Akufo-Addo led government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), currently under investigation by the incumbent John Mahama led government for various corruption related accusations keeps increasing though   none of the accused former appointees has been pronounced guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Opinions remain sharply divided whether the said investigations are genuinely intended to determine whether State funds had been wrongly appropriated and to recover same or whether the ongoing probes are sheer vindictive political witch-hunting camouflaged as procedural investigations to uncover suspected loots.

In no particular order, The New Publisher takes a peep into some of the said investigations involving former government appointees and notables of the NPP.

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh

Dr. Opoku-Prempeh  alias Napo was the running mate to former Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia who contested as the NPP presidential candidate for the 2024 presidential elections. He served as Minister for Education and later Minister for Energy.

Napo raised eyebrows when he told journalists last week that he had been responding to invitations from the National Investigations Bureau (NIB)

“As I speak to you now, I have been invited by the NIB on two different occasions to answer some questions from my time as Education Minister—some issues I don’t even remember. But the records are there to show,” Napo stated without giving further details.

Deep throats from the NIB however hint that Napo has been answering questions the on procurement-related decisions and contracts, including a US$60 million deal for mathematical sets awarded in 2019 by the Ministry of Education for distribution to Senior High School (SHS) students across Ghana when he served as Minister for Education.

Ameyaw-Akumfi and Solomon Asamoah

Former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi and the Chief Executive for same GIFF. Solomon Asamoah, a former CEO have been investigated over what is reported to be the transfer of $2 million of public funds into a private account belonging to Africa Investor Holdings.

The State alleges in court that the prosecution, the $2 million get transferred without proper authorization or due diligence, allegedly for the construction of a proposed Sky Train project

The two are facing trial for same and recently, Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi was granted bail in the sum of GH¢10 million with two sureties, to be justified with landed property in Greater Accra.

As part of the bail conditions, he is to deposit his passport and all other travel documents with the court and report to the investigator once every week.

Wontumi

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman for Ashanti Region, Chairman Wontumi, officially known as Bernard Antwi Boasiako, in being investigated by both the CID headquarters and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for separate offences.

He recently spent some 7 days in detention because he was unable to fully meet the bail conditions set by EOCO for his release.

The deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Justice Srem-Sai, took to his Facebook wall to share information on reasons Chairman Wontumi is being investigated by EOCO:

“Suspect BERNARD ANTWI BOASIAKO, a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi, is under investigation for various criminal offences (including fraud, causing financial loss to the State, and money laundering).

“The criminal investigation is running concurrently with asset recovery processes – to prevent further dissipation of what law enforcement agencies strongly suspect to be proceeds of crime.

“The suspect is also under a second strand of investigation which is part of a lager international organised crime scheme. The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is assiduously working with our international law enforcement partners on this second strand of criminal investigations”, Justice Srem-Sai noted.

Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has disclosed that Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and some staff of the Authority are being investigation into the alleged embezzlement of GH¢1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF).

The OSP said the investigations is also robing in the UPPF Coordinator Jacob Amoah, as well as staff members Wendy Ashong Newman and Freda Tandoh.

But Dr. Abdul-Hamid has said he is more than willing to assist the OSP in the said investigation).

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Dr. Abdul-Hamid responded to claims from the OSP regarding financial misconduct during his tenure at the NPA.

He stated that, as of that afternoon, he had not received any formal invitation from any state investigative body.

“I am willing to avail myself to assist in any investigations of the alleged embezzlement of funds,” Dr. Abdul-Hamid wrote.

Osei Assibey Antwi  and Gifty Oware-Mensah

Osei Assibey Antwi the former Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA) and madam Gifty Oware-Mensah a former deputy Director of the Authority have both been questioned by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB),

in connection with the ongoing probe into the ghost names scandal.

Sources indicate that Mr. Osei Assibey appeared before the NIB on Thursday, March 20, accompanied by his lawyer after an invitation was extended to him to appear before the investigative body.

He was reportedly subjected to several hours of questioning regarding the scandal, which involves the fraudulent enlistment of non-existent personnel onto the NSA payroll.

Both were arrested on separate dates and granted bail but are still helping in investigations into the said ghost names saga.

Kwabena Adu-Boahene

Former Director General of the National Security Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene is currently standing trial over alleged financial misconduct and procurement breaches involving state agencies.

Ken Ofori-Atta

Former Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta is also being investigated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor and has been declared wanted.

According to the OSP, Ofori-Atta is being investigated over Contractual arrangements between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the

Termination of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC).

The OSP said the former Finance Minister is also being investigated over procurement procedures and financial transactions related to the National Cathedral, a Ministry of Health contract with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for the purchase and maintenance of 307 ambulances and the handling and disbursement of funds from the Tax P-Fund Account of the GRA.

Cecilia Dapaah

Government has decided to reopen the case involving former Minister of Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

This was announced by the Special Prosecutor.

The former Minister rather became of victim of suspicion after her jewelry and money got stolen in her home.