Ghana government collaborates with US authorities on power plant bribery case

This follows the conviction of Asante Kwaku Berko, a Ghanaian-American dual national and former investment banker, by a US federal jury on charges including conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act FCPA and money laundering conspiracy. The case involves a 2014-2017 power plant development contract between a Turkish energy company and the Ghanaian government. Evidence presented in a US federal court revealed that Berko and his co-conspirators allegedly bribed Ghanaian government officials to secure approval for the project, using code names like 'holy rain' to conceal their activities.

The scheme reportedly involved over $1 million in bribes, including discussions in April 2015 about paying $1 million to Ghana's then Minister of Power and $250,000 to the minister's senior adviser. Bribes were also paid to five Ghanaian officials during a trip to Turkey. After Ghana's Parliament approved the agreement in July 2015, conspirators continued discussions on concealing payments, with one instance involving $250,000 distributed, including $46,000 paid to members of Parliament who ratified the agreement, a payment Berko personally made.

The prosecutors noted that coded language and other methods were used to hide the payments, and Berko used his personal emai