A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mohammed Alhassan, has called on Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem Sai to pursue all individuals allegedly implicated in a bribery scheme linked to the development of a power plant in Ghana.
His comments follow an announcement by Justice Srem Sai that the Attorney-General’s Office is collaborating with its counterparts in the United States to identify and pursue other persons connected to the alleged scheme.
The development comes after the conviction of Ghanaian-American businessman and former Goldman Sachs executive, Asante Kwaku Berko, by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York.
Berko was found guilty of charges including conspiracy to violate the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, violation of the Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The case centres on a power plant development and financing agreement between the Government of Ghana and Turkish energy company Aksa Enerji between 2014 and 2017.
US prosecutors alleged that Berko and his co-conspirators conspired to pay more than US$1 million in bribes to Ghanaian government officials to secure approvals for the multimillion-dollar power project.
The prosecution also presented evidence alleging that payments were discussed for senior government officials, while other officials allegedly received money during an all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey to inspect equipment for the proposed plant.
Reacting to the development on Plan B FM’s Nkosuo Nsem, hosted by Kofi Sekyi, Mohammed Alhassan said it was time individuals who had been entrusted with the affairs of the country accounted for their stewardship.
He urged the Attorney-General’s Office to go after all persons found to have played a role in the alleged transactions, stressing that accountability should apply to everyone involved.
“It’s about time people account for their stewardship, and they need to be brought to book for every transaction they’ve done for the country,” he said.
According to him, politicians have taken Ghanaians for granted for far too long, and the pursuit of accountability must not stop at the conviction of one individual.
Justice Srem Sai has indicated that the Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, is engaging US authorities as Ghana seeks to pursue other persons allegedly connected to the bribery scheme.
The move could widen the scope of the long-running case and renew scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the approval and financing of the power plant project.
By: Bernard Mensah
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