Asante Kwaku Berko, a former Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery and a dual citizen of the United States and Ghana, has been extradited from the UK to face charges in the US.
He stands accused of allegedly bribing Ghanaian government officials to secure a power plant deal and laundering the payments through the US financial system.
Berko, a former executive director and banker at Goldman Sachs Group, was arraigned in a federal court in Brooklyn on July 16, 2024, for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
According to the indictment, between 2014 and 2017, Berko conspired with others to bribe Ghanaian officials to support a bid from a Turkish energy company to build and operate a power plant in Ghana.
The indictment alleges that these bribes included payments to Ghanaian officials during trips and through various financial transactions, including US bank accounts.
During the arraignment, US Attorney Breon Peace emphasized, “The defendant allegedly bribed Ghanaian government officials to secure a lucrative development contract, relying on the US banking system to execute his scheme. We are committed to rooting out such bribery that creates unfair advantages and exploits the US financial system.”
If convicted, Berko faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and up to five years in prison for each count of violating the FCPA and conspiring to violate it.
“The defendant allegedly bribed Ghanaian government officials to secure a lucrative development contract, relying on the U.S. banking system to execute his scheme.
“We are committed to rooting out such bribery that creates unfair advantages and exploits the U.S. financial system,” Peace added.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Curtis narrated, “For over two years, Asante Berko, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ghana, allegedly bribed Ghanaian government officials to monopolize a promising business deal and used United States bank accounts to transfer such kickbacks.
“Financially influencing decision-makers, including those overseas, jeopardizes the integrity of affected countries while creating an unfair advantage for those promoting the bribery scheme. The FBI will not permit citizens, regardless of their nationality, to obtain corrupt contracts by exploiting foreign countries and utilizing our nation to facilitate the movement of unlawful payments,” parts of the release published on the US Department of Justice website read.