Office of the Special Prosecutor provided major evidence in US conviction of ex TOR MD Asante Berko
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has disclosed that it provided investigative and evidentiary assistance to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), contributing to the conviction of former Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Managing Director Asante Kwaku Berko in a US bribery case.
The OSP said its assistance was provided through Ghana’s established mutual legal assistance framework and was acknowledged by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) as having made a significant contribution to the prosecution.
“The involvement of the OSP has been acknowledged by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) as providing ‘significant assistance to this prosecution,’” the OSP said in a public notice issued on Monday, August 10, 2026.
A federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, convicted Mr Berko on August 6, 2026, for conspiring to pay and paying more than US$1 million in bribes to multiple Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2015.
The bribery scheme was linked to the development and financing of a power plant in Ghana under an agreement between the Republic of Ghana and Turkish energy company Aksa Enerji Uretim A.S., a client of US-based investment bank Goldman Sachs.
According to the OSP, the collaboration with the FBI took place largely behind the scenes, with Ghana providing investigative and evidentiary support to the US authorities as they pursued the case.
The OSP said the prosecution demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in investigating and prosecuting cross-border corruption.
It said the successful outcome also highlights the value of mutual legal assistance mechanisms in enabling law enforcement agencies in different jurisdictions to share information and evidence in corruption-related investigations.
Mr Berko, a dual citizen of Ghana and the United States, faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison following his conviction.
He is scheduled to appear before the US court on November 10, 2026, when he is expected to be sentenced.