Former Minister of Power Dr. Kwabena Donkor has emphatically denied receiving money or meeting former Goldman Sachs executive Asante Berko, following Berko’s August 6, 2026, federal conviction in Brooklyn for a bribery scheme involving a power plant development contract with Aksa Enerji.
The Brooklyn Conviction and the Aksa Energy Power Contract
A federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, convicted Asante Kwaku Berko on August 6, 2026, on multiple counts including conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, violating the FCPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Berko, a dual citizen of Ghana and the United States and a former executive director in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs, also served as Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery. Prosecutors established that beginning in December 2014, Berko worked to secure a deal between the Government of Ghana and Aksa Enerji Uretim A.S., a Turkish energy company and Goldman client, for the financing of a power plant during the power crisis under the first Mahama administration. To ensure the contract was awarded to Aksa, Berko and co-conspirators funnelled bribes across multiple levels of the Ghanaian government, using shell companies, personal email accounts, sham invoices, and nominee accounts to shield the payments from compliance teams before Goldman Sachs ultimately withdrew from the deal citing corruption concerns.
Dr. Kwabena Donkor’s Strong Denial and Legal Warnings
Dr. Kwabena Donkor, who served as the Member of Parliament for Pru East and Minister of Power during the negotiations before resigning on December 31, 2015, rejected any association with the bribery scheme. Writing through his lawyers at Cavendish Chambers, Dr. Donkor stated that he never met Berko at any point in his life, never discussed personal benefits with him or any other person, and never authorized anyone to do so. Private legal practitioner Oliver Barker-Vormawor noted that after a telephone conversation with the former minister, Dr. Donkor welcomed an investigation, expressing confidence that a formal probe would clear his name. Cavendish Chambers warned that any publications seeking to impugn Dr. Donkor’s reputation and integrity would result in immediate legal proceedings.
The Unresolved Money Trail and Coded Official Descriptions
The US proceedings detailed extensive discussions around financial disbursements, including $1 million earmarked for Ghana’s Minister of Power and $250,000 for his senior adviser, though legal analysts note that the public record distinguishes between funds discussed and funds definitively received by specific principals. Additional financial figures cited in the case include $5,000 provided to each of five Ghanaian officials during an all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey, for pre-shipment equipment inspections, alongside approximately $120,000 associated with the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, $20,000 for GRIDCo engineers, $20,000 for three ministry officials designated as the MoP Girls
, $25,000 for an eight-member Power Team
, and approximately $46,000 directed to members of parliament. These disclosures have placed multiple officials under public scrutiny, including Francis W. K. Dzata, who served as technical adviser to the minister, while potential matches for Ghana Official 2
remain under review without final confirmation.
Behind the Scenes: The Office of the Special Prosecutor’s Role
Ghanaian law enforcement agencies actively contributed to the foreign prosecution through established bilateral channels. The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) explained that it provided crucial investigative and evidentiary support to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation behind the scenes via Ghana’s mutual legal assistance framework. The United States Department of Justice formally acknowledged this assistance, stating that the OSP provided significant assistance to this prosecution
. Building on this cooperation, Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem Sai announced that the Attorney-General is working with US counterparts to bring implicated domestic actors to account.
Sentencing and the Road Ahead for Local Inquiries
Asante Kwaku Berko faces a maximum prison sentence of up to 30 years following his federal trial before US District Judge Diane Gujarati. Remanded in custody, Berko is scheduled to appear for sentencing on November 10, 2026.
