Accra: The final judgment from a United States court has revealed that Asante Berko, the former Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery, along with his associates, profited over $42 million from the AKSA power deal. This information has emerged following the conviction of Berko.
According to Ghana Web, Solomon Owusu, the Communications Director of the Unity Party, shared excerpts from the court ruling during a discussion on Angel FM/TV. Owusu emphasized that the over $1 million bribe given to public officials was not the primary reason for Berko's conviction. Instead, the critical issue highlighted was the alleged misappropriation of government funds and overcharging of the people of Ghana in the AKSA deal.
The court documents reportedly indicate that Berko and a Turkish associate demanded a share in all businesses secured through the AKSA contract. Initially, an agreement was in place for them to earn $25 million annually. However, concerns from the Turkish company led to a revised agreement during a meeting in London, removing the dependency on the power price per kilowatt to determine earnings.
Owusu further explained that Berko and his associates ultimately secured $42 million from the deal. He noted that this significant sum was the core issue, dismissing the $1 million bribe as relatively minor. He lamented that while Ghanaians faced hardships, Berko and his partners benefitted financially from the arrangement.
Additionally, Solomon Owusu called on the Ghanaian government to take action to recover funds lost in the deal. He pointed out that the companies involved, as well as the US financial market and Asante Berko, gained at the expense of the Ghanaian government.