John Mahama
In a startling revelation that has sent tongues wagging, a former Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery, Asante Kwaku Berko, was extradited from the United Kingdom (UK) to the United States on Monday, July 15, 2024 to face prosecution.
Berko faces prosecution for alleged involvement in bribing Ghanaian government officials during the administration of John Dramani Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) to secure a lucrative power plant deal and laundering illicit payments through the US financial system.
According to the US Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York, Berko, a former Ghanaian-American banker, orchestrated a complex scheme involving the payment of substantial bribes to key officials, including government representatives, between December 2014 and March 2017. These dubious transactions were reportedly aimed at facilitating a power plant agreement with a Turkish energy company.
The indictment by the Attorney’s Office reveals damning details of the clandestine operation, stating, “During the scheme, Berko and his co-conspirators paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes—including to Ghanaian officials—to ensure the Turkish energy company won its bid to build and operate the power plant.” The report uncovers explicit instances where bribes were extended to Ghanaian authorities, such as an all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey in April 2015, during which five officials allegedly received $5,000 each.
Following parliamentary approval of the power plant deal in July 2015, further evidence emerged of email exchanges detailing elaborate bribe payments. Notably, discussions in August 2015 reference substantial sums, including $250,000 disbursed to various recipients, with $20,000 designated for the “MoP Girls” from the Ghanaian Ministry of Power—deemed crucial for information dissemination to the conspirators.
Moreover, the meticulous progression of the bribery scheme encompassed multi-tiered money laundering operations spanning domestic and foreign bank accounts, several under Berko’s ownership. Accounts indicate a sequence of transactional activities aimed at obfuscating the origins and destinations of tainted funds, underscoring the intricate web of deceit woven by the accused and accomplices.
As legal proceedings unfold in the United States against Berko and implicated associates, the ramifications of this high-profile case reverberate across international borders, casting renewed scrutiny on governance practices and transparency within the corridors of power. The unfolding narrative of corruption allegations, entwined with allegations of facilitation and financial malfeasance, raises profound questions about accountability and ethical conduct in public-private partnerships.
Stay tuned for developing updates on this unprecedented exposé as law enforcement agencies delve deeper into the intricacies of the power deal saga, shedding light on the shadowy nexus of influence-peddling and illicit enrichment that has come to define this controversial chapter in Ghana’s socio-political landscape.
By Vincent Kubi