Asante Berko Indictment: Court Documents Detail Roles of Ghana Officials in Bribery Case

• A US federal court document has outlined the specific roles of 'Ghana Official 1' and 'Ghana Official 2' in the Asante Berko bribery case
• Both officials allegedly acted on behalf of Ghana's Ministry of Power and are classified as foreign officials under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
• The indictment states that corrupt payments were orchestrated between December 2014 and March 2017 to secure energy business in Ghana

A United States federal court filing has laid out the precise roles of government figures identified as "Ghana Official 1" and "Ghana Official 2" in the criminal case against former Goldman Sachs executive Asante Kwaku Berko, who stands accused of bribery and money laundering.

The indictment, submitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, details how both officials functioned within an alleged corrupt scheme aimed at securing energy contracts in Ghana.

Roles of Ghana officials in the indictment

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According to the court document, Ghana Official 2 held a senior position within the Ghanaian Ministry of Power and performed duties in an official government capacity.

The filing classifies Ghana Official 2 as a "foreign official" under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Ghana Official 1 is described separately as someone who also operated within the Ministry of Power in an advisory role to a senior ministry executive, referred to in the document as a "Senior Ghana Official." Ghana Official 1 is likewise designated a "foreign official" under the FCPA.

Bribes, AKSA energy deals, and money laundering

According to a report sighted on Graphic Online, the indictment alleges that between December 2014 and March 2017, Berko conspired with multiple individuals to arrange corrupt payments to Ghanaian public officials.

The purpose of those payments, according to prosecutors, was to help Asante Berko, a US financial institution, a Turkish energy company, and associated entities win and retain government contracts in Ghana.

Beyond the bribery charges, the court document describes a parallel money laundering operation in which Berko and his co-conspirators moved illicit funds through the US financial system and other international networks.

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Prosecutors allege those transfers were designed specifically to sustain the bribery scheme and protect the commercial interests of all parties involved.

Group petitions Parliament to probe MPs

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that governance advocacy group PAGA had petitioned Parliament to launch a formal inquiry into bribery allegations linked to the 2015 AKSA deal.

Evidence admitted in a US criminal prosecution had indicated that payments were made to Ghanaian MPs to facilitate the ratification of the deal.

PAGA had identified 18 MPs who served on the Mines and Energy Committee during the period when the AKSA agreement was scrutinised and approved.

Source: YEN.com.gh