The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has revealed that it extended investigative and evidentiary support to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), aiding in the conviction of former Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Managing Director Asante Kwaku Berko in a bribery case in the US.
The OSP stated that its assistance was rendered through Ghana’s established mutual legal assistance framework and was recognized by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) as having significantly contributed to the prosecution.
“The involvement of the OSP has been recognized by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) as providing ‘significant assistance to this prosecution,'” the OSP noted in a public announcement issued on Monday, August 10, 2026.
A federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, found Mr. Berko guilty on August 6, 2026, for conspiring to pay and actually paying over US$1 million in bribes to several Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2015.
The bribery scheme was associated with the development and financing of a power plant in Ghana, under an agreement between the Republic of Ghana and the Turkish energy firm Aksa Enerji Uretim A.S., which is a client of the US-based investment bank Goldman Sachs.
According to the OSP, the collaboration with the FBI primarily occurred behind the scenes, with Ghana providing investigative and evidentiary assistance to US authorities as they pursued the case.
The OSP emphasized that the prosecution underscores the significance of international cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of cross-border corruption.
It further stated that the successful outcome highlights the importance of mutual legal assistance mechanisms that enable law enforcement agencies across different jurisdictions to exchange information and evidence in corruption-related inquiries.
Mr. Berko, who holds dual citizenship in Ghana and the United States, faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison following his conviction.
He is set to appear before the US court on November 10, 2026, when he is anticipated to receive his sentence.
