Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has identified five persons of interest in the Ghanaian aspect of the bribery investigation involving former Goldman Sachs banker and former Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Managing Director, Asante Kwaku Berko.
The five individuals named by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) are former Power Minister Kwabena Donkor; former Technical Adviser to the Minister of Power Francis Walkson Kwasi Dzafa; Deputy Director Solomon Adjetey Sowah; Lyndon Nii Mettle, Director of Tricorp Group Limited; and Baffour Ankomah Brobbey, an employee of Tricorp Group Limited.
The OSP has clarified that being named a person of interest does not mean any of the individuals is a suspect or has been found guilty of a criminal offence.
The development follows the conviction of Asante Kwaku Berko by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, on August 6, 2026. Berko was convicted over his alleged involvement in a bribery scheme involving more than US$1 million in payments to Ghanaian officials linked to the development and financing of a power plant.
The project involved Turkish energy company Aksa Enerji and the Government of Ghana and was pursued during a period when Ghana was experiencing significant power shortages.
According to evidence presented during the United States court proceedings, Berko and his associates discussed and made payments intended to influence Ghanaian officials and obtain approvals for the power project. US prosecutors said the alleged bribery scheme took place between 2014 and 2015.
Court evidence reportedly included discussions about a US$1 million payment to the then Minister of Power, who was responsible for key government approvals needed to move the project forward. Other payments allegedly involved Ghanaian officials and individuals linked to the Ministry of Power.
The US case also referenced expenses connected to a trip by Ghanaian officials to Turkey to inspect equipment for the proposed power plant.
Some of the Ghanaian officials mentioned during the US proceedings were not publicly identified. Instead, court documents referred to them using descriptions such as “Ghana Official 1” and “Ghana Official 2.”
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has indicated that its involvement goes beyond supporting US investigators. According to Kissi Agyebeng, the OSP has continued its independent investigation into the Ghanaian dimension of the Asante Berko bribery case.
The Special Prosecutor said the office intends to pursue the matter based on evidence gathered through its own investigations, potentially bringing further developments in the ongoing corruption and bribery investigation in Ghana.
Source: newsthemegh.com