Lawyer for former Power Minister Kwabena Donkor, K.T. Hammond, says he has not been instructed by his client on whether the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has contacted him in connection with the Aksa Energy bribery allegations.
Mr Hammond was responding to questions on Joy FM’s Top Story about whether Dr Donkor had been approached by the OSP or the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) following developments in the United States involving the Aksa Energy deal.
Asked specifically whether his client had been contacted by the OSP in connection with the matter, Mr Hammond said: “I’m not so instructed.”
The lawyer’s comments come as Ghanaian authorities intensify scrutiny of allegations surrounding the Aksa Energy power agreement and possible payments linked to the transaction.
Dr Donkor served as Minister responsible for Power at the time the agreement was negotiated between the Ghanaian government and Aksa Energy.
Mr Hammond has stressed that his client accepts having played an oversight role in the transaction but denies any improper conduct.
According to him, Dr Donkor supervised activities at the ministry and ensured that the agreement was prepared for transmission to Parliament for ratification.
However, he said the former minister has categorically denied meeting Asante Berko, the former Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), or negotiating with him.
“He didn’t meet this man, Berko. He never negotiated with him. He never made any demand,” Mr Hammond said.
He further maintained that Dr Donkor never demanded or received money in connection with the transaction.
Mr Hammond said any individual who may have demanded money while invoking the former minister’s name would have acted without his authorisation.
“If anybody goes on the frolic of their own and makes some outrageous and preposterous demands on his behalf, he did not authorise that. Certain individuals would have done it for their own benefit, and he cannot be held responsible for that,” he stated.
The lawyer also defended the involvement of technical officials who travelled to Istanbul to inspect equipment intended for the power project.
He explained that such inspections were standard practice for major power projects, allowing engineers and technical representatives from relevant institutions to verify the quality, quantity and suitability of equipment before it was brought into Ghana.
The Aksa Energy controversy has drawn renewed attention to the roles of government officials and other stakeholders involved in the power procurement process.
The OSP and EOCO are taking an interest in the matter, with investigations expected to establish whether any Ghanaian officials were involved in alleged improper payments and whether any offences were committed
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