OSP names Kwabena Donkor, four others as persons of interest in Berko bribery case
Former Power Minister Kwabena Donkor and four others have been named as the main persons of interest in Ghana's investigation into the bribery case involving former Goldman Sachs banker Asante Kweku Berko. The OSP says being a person of interest does not mean a person is suspected of a crime or has been found criminally liable.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has named former Power Minister Kwabena Donkor and four other people as its main persons of interest in its investigation into the Ghanaian dimension of the bribery case involving Asante Kweku Berko.
The four others are Francis Walkson Kwesi Gyata, a former technical adviser to the Minister of Power; Solomon Adjetey Sowah, a former deputy director at the Ministry of Power; Lindin George Nii Mettle, a former director at Tricop Group Limited; and Baffour Ankomah Brobbey, an employee of Tricop Group.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng announced the names while giving an update on the OSP's investigation.
He was careful to stress that being named a person of interest does not automatically make any of the five a suspect.
“The person of interest is not necessarily a suspect,” Mr Agyebeng said.
He said the two classifications have different meanings in an investigation and should not be treated as interchangeable.
“Identification in either category does not constitute criminal culpability or conviction until guilt is proved beyond reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a court of competent jurisdiction,” he added.
What is the Berko case about?
The OSP's investigation follows the conviction of Asante Kweku Berko by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, on 3 August 2026 over a bribery scheme involving more than US$1m.
Berko, a dual citizen of Ghana and the United States and former managing director of the Tema Oil Refinery, was convicted over allegations that he conspired to pay bribes to several Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2015.
The alleged payments were linked to the development and financing of a 370-megawatt fuel oil plant in Tema, under an agreement involving the Republic of Ghana, Turkish energy company AXA Energy Eratim and Goldman Sachs.
The OSP says it provided investigative and evidentiary assistance to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation through Ghana's mutual legal assistance framework.
According to Mr Agyebeng, the US Department of Justice acknowledged the OSP's assistance in the successful prosecution.
Donkor denies involvement
Dr Kwabena Donkor has strongly denied any involvement in the bribery allegations surrounding Berko.
In a statement issued by his lawyers, Cavendish Chambers, on August 10, the former Power Minister said he had never met Berko, demanded money from him or received any personal benefit connected with the power project.
His lawyers said Dr Donkor had “absolutely no knowledge” of the allegations linking him to the US bribery case and had “completely and emphatically” denied knowledge of any request or demand for money.
The statement followed speculation on social media about the identity of a former Ghanaian Minister of Power referred to in the US case.
OSP says investigation is continuing
The OSP said its investigation into the Ghanaian dimension of the case remains ongoing.
Mr Agyebeng said the investigation extends beyond the five principal persons of interest named at the press conference.
He said other persons of interest include some current and former employees of the Volta River Authority, Ghana Grid Company Limited, Electricity Company of Ghana, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission and staff of the former Ministry of Power.
The Special Prosecutor also stressed that Berko's conviction in the United States did not automatically provide grounds for prosecuting other people in Ghana.
Each individual's conduct, he said, would have to be assessed under Ghanaian law and supported by lawfully obtained evidence capable of sustaining a prosecution.
“The OSP will not prosecute the person solely on the basis that the person's name appears in proceedings conducted in another country,” he said.
The office would, however, prosecute any person where the evidence establishes a proper legal basis for doing so.
For now, the Ghanaian investigation remains open, with the OSP yet to indicate whether any of the people named will ultimately face criminal charges.