A federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, has convicted Ghanaian American businessman and former Tema Oil Refinery Managing Director Asante Kwaku Berko over a bribery scheme involving more than $1 million.
According to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Mr Berko was convicted on August 6, 2026, for conspiring to pay and paying bribes to several Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2015.
The OSP said the payments were linked to the development and financing of a power plant in Ghana under an agreement between the Republic of Ghana and Aksa Enerji Uretim A.S., a Turkish energy company and client of Goldman Sachs.
Mr Berko is a dual citizen of Ghana and the United States.
He previously served as Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery and as an Executive Director in the Investment Banking Division of the US-based Goldman Sachs Group.
The OSP said it provided investigative and evidentiary assistance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States through Ghana’s mutual legal assistance framework.
It said the United States Department of Justice had acknowledged the OSP’s role, describing its assistance as “significant” to the prosecution.
Mr Berko faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. His sentencing has been scheduled for November 10, 2026.
The OSP said the case demonstrates the importance of cooperation between countries in investigating and prosecuting corruption that crosses national borders.
It explained that the cooperation between the FBI and the OSP took place behind the scenes through established legal channels, but the conviction demonstrates the value of such cooperation in tackling cross-border corruption.
The OSP made this known in a public notice issued on August 10, 2026.
By: Jacob Aggrey
