Accra: The United States court's final judgment has highlighted a significant financial gain of over $42 million by Asante Berko, the former Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery, and his associates from the AKSA power deal. This revelation came to light during a discussion on Angel FM/TV, where Solomon Owusu, the Communications Director of the Unity Party, shared excerpts of the ruling.
According to Ghana Web, the court's decision indicated that the $1 million bribe given to public officials was not the primary reason for Berko's conviction. Instead, the core issue was the alleged misappropriation of Ghanaian taxpayer funds and the apparent exploitation of the government's efforts to address the nation's power crisis. The court documents allegedly revealed that the citizens of Ghana were overcharged, enabling Berko and his associates to amass substantial profits.
Owusu elaborated on the court findings, explaining that Berko, along with a Turkish partner, negotiated a share in all businesses secured through the AKSA contract. The financial arrangement initially anticipated a $25 million annual return, but subsequent meetings in London led to an agreement that detached their earnings from the power price per kilowatt. This adjustment reportedly facilitated the $42 million gain, overshadowing the $1 million bribe, which Owusu described as "chicken change."
Further implicating political figures, Owusu named Kwabena Donkor, Amadu Sorogho, and KT Hammond in connection with a related trip to Turkey. He urged the Ghanaian government to reclaim some of the financial losses, emphasizing that the entities involved, including the US financial market and Berko, profited at Ghana's expense.