Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, has engaged United States authorities over efforts to pursue individuals allegedly implicated in a bribery scheme linked to the financing of a major power plant project in Ghana between 2014 and 2017.
The development follows the conviction of Ghanaian-American businessman and former Goldman Sachs executive, Asante Kwaku Berko, by a United States federal jury in Brooklyn, New York.
Deputy Attorney-General, Justice Srem Sai, disclosed the Attorney-General’s engagement with US authorities in a Facebook post on Saturday, August 8, 2026, indicating that Ghana was working with its American counterparts to bring other persons implicated in the alleged scheme to justice.
Berko was convicted of conspiracy to violate the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), violating the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The nine-day trial was heard before Judge Diane Gujarati of the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Berko, a dual US-Ghanaian citizen, played a central role in a scheme to facilitate the payment of more than US$1 million in bribes to Ghanaian government officials in connection with efforts to secure approval for a multimillion-dollar power plant project.
Alleged bribery scheme
Prosecutors told the court that Berko, who was an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs, was assigned in 2014 to help arrange financing between a Turkish energy company and the Government of Ghana for the construction and financing of a power plant.
The project was being pursued during a period when Ghana was facing a severe electricity crisis.
Evidence presented at trial indicated that Berko and his alleged co-conspirators planned to pay US$1 million to Ghana’s Minister of Power in April 2015.
Prosecutors further alleged that five Ghanaian government officials each received US$5,000 during an all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey to inspect equipment connected to the proposed power plant.
The court also heard allegations that Berko personally made tens of thousands of dollars in additional bribe payments associated with the project.
Ghana’s Parliament subsequently approved the power plant agreement in July 2015.
According to US prosecutors, emails presented during the trial showed discussions between Berko and his alleged co-conspirators concerning the illicit payments.
Alleged attempts to conceal payments
The US Department of Justice said Berko took steps to conceal the alleged bribery scheme from Goldman Sachs and other parties involved in the transaction.
Prosecutors alleged that shell companies, fraudulent invoices, nominee bank accounts and cash withdrawals were used to disguise the payments.
The alleged illicit funds were also moved through bank accounts in the United States and other countries, including accounts held in Berko’s name, according to the DOJ.
Goldman Sachs eventually withdrew from the transaction after corruption concerns emerged.
Berko faces up to 30 years in prison
Following his conviction, Berko faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced in November.
His criminal conviction follows an earlier civil enforcement action by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over the same bribery scheme.
In June 2021, the SEC obtained a final judgment against Berko, permanently barring him from violating the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA and ordering him to disgorge US$275,000 in alleged illicit gains, together with more than US$54,000 in prejudgment interest.
Berko was extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom in July 2024 after being arrested in London in November 2022 under an Interpol Diffusion Notice.
US authorities condemn corruption
Assistant Attorney General Tysen Duva of the US Department of Justice’s Criminal Division said the conviction demonstrated the consequences of corruption and practices that undermine fair competition.
He said individuals who undermine US interests through corruption would face the full force of the Department of Justice.
Acting Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Division, Matthew Floyd, also criticised Berko’s conduct, accusing him of deliberately misleading his employer in order to continue the alleged scheme.
The case was prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
Fresh scrutiny of Ghana power deal
The conviction has renewed scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the power plant agreement and the alleged involvement of Ghanaian officials.
The engagement between Attorney-General Dominic Ayine and US authorities could pave the way for further investigations and possible prosecutions of other individuals found to have participated in the alleged bribery scheme.
For Ghana, the development places renewed focus on the need for accountability in major public-sector transactions, particularly those involving significant public resources and international financing.
