Former Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor has denied ever meeting convicted former Goldman Sachs banker Asante Berko or demanding or receiving money in connection with the controversial Aksa Energy power deal.
His lawyer, K.T. Hammond, told JoyNews on Top Story that Dr Donkor has categorically rejected allegations linking him to the bribery scheme that led to Berko’s conviction in the United States.
“He has never met me. He never dealt with it,” Mr Hammond said, reading from instructions he said he had received from his client.
“He didn’t meet this man. He never negotiated with him. He never made any demands. It’s all there. It’s categorical denials. A, B, C, D, E.”
The lawyer’s comments come after a US federal jury convicted Asante Berko on August 6, 2026, over a bribery scheme involving Ghanaian officials and a power plant deal connected to Aksa Energy.
Berko, a former Goldman Sachs investment banker who later served as Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery, was found guilty of conspiracy to violate the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, violating the Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
US prosecutors said Berko paid more than US$1 million in bribes between 2014 and 2015 to multiple Ghanaian officials in connection with the development and financing of the power project.
Dr Donkor was Power Minister during the period under scrutiny and resigned from office on December 31, 2015.
Mr Hammond maintained that his client’s position was unambiguous and rejected suggestions that the denial could be interpreted to leave room for questions about payments allegedly made in Dr Donkor’s name.
“What is that supposed to mean? Read what is there,” he told JoyNews.
“I mean, this interpretation and asking me does that also mean what? It is there in clear terms, crystal clear. What he told me is what you are reading.”
When pressed on whether alleged payments made by persons connected to the transaction had come to Dr Donkor’s attention, the lawyer declined to accept the premise of the question.
“Could you ask another serious person? Don’t be flippant about this matter. We’re dealing with serious matters. Please,” he said.
While denying wrongdoing by his client, Mr Hammond confirmed Dr Donkor’s role as Power Minister at the time and defended the technical inspection of power-generation equipment in Istanbul, Turkey.
He said such an inspection was a normal part of the due diligence required for a major infrastructure project, particularly given Ghana’s electricity crisis at the time.
“So the procedure would always be to get the technical people to go on site and inspect and be sure about the sanctity and integrity of the equipment you are receiving,” he explained.
According to him, Ghana was acquiring about 370 megawatts of generating equipment during a period of severe power shortages, making technical verification important before the equipment was shipped.
He said the delegation included representatives from various stakeholders in Ghana’s electricity sector, including the Volta River Authority.
Mr Hammond further argued that Dr Donkor could not be held responsible if individuals independently used his name to make improper demands.
“If anybody goes on the frolic of their own and makes some scandalous and criminal demands on his behalf, he did not provide that,” he said.
“Those individuals would have done it for their own benefit, and he cannot be held responsible for that.”
The argument seeks to distinguish Dr Donkor from the conduct of any third parties who may have been involved in the bribery scheme.
Dr Donkor himself has not been charged with any offence in connection with the case.
Asked whether the former minister had been contacted by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) or US authorities, Mr Hammond said he was unsure.
“I’m not sure,” he responded.
The OSP has previously disclosed that it provided investigative and evidentiary assistance to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under Ghana’s mutual legal assistance framework in the case that culminated in Berko’s conviction.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has also intensified its investigation into the Ghanaian dimension of the case, including asset tracing and recovery.
The Attorney-General has directed EOCO to escalate its investigations as relevant information and official records are obtained from US authorities.
For now, Dr Donkor maintains that he had no involvement in the alleged bribery and that he never met Berko, negotiated with him or received money from him.
The former minister’s denial comes as Ghanaian authorities continue examining evidence emerging from the US proceedings and assess whether any individuals in Ghana may have breached the law.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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