Ghanaian authorities are joining forces with their counterparts in the United States to pursue additional individuals allegedly connected to a massive bribery scheme involving more than $1 million, Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai has revealed.
The development follows the conviction of Ghanaian-American businessman and former Goldman Sachs investment banker Asante Kwaku Berko by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York.
According to Srem-Sai, Attorney General Dominic Ayine is engaging U.S. authorities as efforts intensify to identify and bring other people allegedly involved in the controversial power plant transaction to justice. The Deputy Attorney General did not publicly identify those currently being pursued.
Berko was convicted following a nine-day trial on charges including conspiracy to violate the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, violating the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
U.S. prosecutors said Berko and his co-conspirators paid or conspired to pay more than $1 million in bribes to multiple Ghanaian government officials while attempting to secure approvals for the development and financing of a multimillion-dollar power plant.
The alleged scheme dates back to Ghana’s electricity crisis between 2014 and 2017, when Berko was involved in managing a deal between Turkish energy company Aksa Enerji and the Government of Ghana.
Prosecutors said discussions in April 2015 included a proposed $1 million payment to Ghana’s then-Minister of Power and $250,000 to a senior adviser. Five Ghanaian officials were also allegedly given $5,000 each during an all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey connected to the power project.
The latest announcement from Ghana’s Attorney General’s office could now dramatically widen the fallout from the scandal.
With Ghana and the United States cooperating, attention is increasingly turning to the identities of other individuals who may have played roles in the transaction.
Berko, 52, now faces up to 30 years in prison following his conviction.
As investigations continue, the explosive case could potentially expose even more names connected to one of Ghana’s most closely watched international corruption cases.
