Former Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Managing Director Asante Kwaku Berko has been convicted in the United States over his alleged involvement in a bribery and money laundering scheme linked to 2014/15 AKSA power plant project during the dumsor era in Ghana.
A federal jury in Brooklyn found Mr Berko guilty on all counts brought against him after a nine-day trial at the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
The verdict was delivered on August 6, 2026, before US District Judge Diane Gujarati.
Mr Berko, a dual US-Ghanaian citizen and former Goldman Sachs executive, was accused of helping facilitate more than US$1 million in bribes to Ghanaian government officials in connection with a multimillion-dollar power plant project involving Turkish energy company Aksa Enerji Uretim A.S.
US prosecutors alleged that Mr Berko used his position and access to the American financial system to assist in moving money linked to the alleged bribery scheme.
The charges against him included conspiracy to violate the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), violating the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The conviction means he could face a maximum combined sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
Mr Berko has been remanded in custody following the verdict. His sentencing has been scheduled for November 10, 2026, when the court will determine the actual punishment to be imposed.
The case relates to a power plant transaction that was being developed and financed between December 2014 and July 2015.
At the time, Mr Berko was an executive director in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs and was involved in managing the transaction between the bank’s client, Aksa Enerji, and the Government of Ghana.
The former TOR boss had faced legal proceedings in the US for several years. He was arrested in the United Kingdom in November 2022 after Interpol issued a Red Notice in connection with the case.
He was subsequently extradited to the United States in July 2024 to face the charges.
