A former Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery, Asante Kwaku Berko, accused of bribing Ghanaian government officials using the financial system of the United States (US), has reportedly been extradited from the United Kingdom to the US.
According to a press release by the US Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, Kwaku Berko, a former Ghanaian-American banker, has been indicted for allegedly violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and money laundering after he bribed Ghanaian government officials to secure a power plant deal and laundered the payments through the US financial system.
The release, published on the US Department of Justice website, indicated that the accused person arrived in the US on Monday and is set to be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn today before Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom.
The extradition of Kwaku Berko was announced by a team of US officials including Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Head of the Criminal Division; and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).
States Attorney Breon Peace confirmed the crimes the Ghanaian-American is being accused of, saying, “As alleged, the defendant bribed Ghanaian government officials to secure a lucrative development contract relying on the US banking system to execute his scheme. My Office is committed to rooting out bribery and other criminal practices that create inequities in the playing field for business both here and abroad and exploit the US banking system.”
Acting FBI Assistant Director M. Curtis also said that even though the crimes Kwaku Berko is accused of were not against the US, the FBI would not sit back to allow the rule of their financial system to be violated.
“For over two years, Asante Berko, a dual citizen of the US and Ghana, allegedly bribed Ghanaian government officials to monopolise a promising business deal and used United States bank accounts to transfer such kickbacks. Financially influencing decision-makers, including those overseas, jeopardises the integrity of affected countries while creating an unfair advantage to those promoting the bribery scheme. The FBI will not permit citizens, regardless of their nationality, to obtain corrupt contracts by exploiting foreign countries and utilising our nation to facilitate the movement of unlawful payments,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Curtis,” he is quoted in the statement.
The release further indicated that the accused person conspired to pay hundreds of thousands in bribes to Ghanaian government officials between approximately December 2014 and March 2017.
It added that the accused is innocent until he is proven guilty by the courts.
“The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Berko faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and five years in prison for each count of violating the FCPA and conspiring to violate the FCPA.”
See full statement below:
PRESS RELEASE
Former Banker Charged with Bribing Ghanaian Officials Extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom
Defendant, a Joint U.S.-Ghanaian Citizen, Charged with FCPA Violations and Money Laundering Related to the Development of a Power Plant in Ghana
Discussion about this post