Ghana government collaborates with US authorities on power plant bribery case
Deputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem Sai announced that the Ghanaian government is working with US authorities to prosecute individuals involved in a bribery scheme related to a power plant development contract. 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
