Brooklyn: The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) says its investigative and evidentiary assistance contributed to the US conviction of Ghanaian-American businessman Asante Kwaku Berko. A federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, convicted Berko on August 6, 2026, of conspiring to pay and paying more than one million dollars in bribes to multiple Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2015.
According to Ghana News Agency, the OSP provided the assistance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through Ghana's established mutual legal assistance framework. The bribes were paid in connection with the development and financing of a power plant in Ghana under a deal between the Republic of Ghana and Aksa Enerji Uretim A.S., a Turkish energy company and client of Goldman Sachs.
Berko, a former Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery and former Executive Director in the Investment Banking Division of the US-based Goldman Sachs Group, was targeted as part of international efforts to investigate and prosecute corruption offenses involving multiple jurisdictions. The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) acknowledged OSP's contribution to the case, describing it as providing 'significant assistance to this prosecution.'
Cooperation between the OSP and the FBI was conducted largely behind the scenes through established channels for international legal assistance. The outcome of the case demonstrated the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in tackling corruption offenses involving multiple jurisdictions.
Berko faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison following his conviction, with United States authorities scheduled to sentence him on November 10, 2026. The OSP emphasized that the case demonstrated that corruption involving public officials, businesses, and international transactions could be pursued through coordinated law enforcement efforts across jurisdictions.
The collaboration between the Ghanaian and US authorities provided an example of how mutual legal assistance could support investigations and prosecutions of complex cross-border corruption offenses. The OSP stated that the conviction was a testament to the effectiveness of international cooperation in combating corruption and underscored the value of sustained collaboration between Ghanaian and international law enforcement agencies.