Court documents in the bribery case involving former Goldman Sachs banker Asante Kwaku Berko have detailed a series of payments allegedly made to facilitate a Ghanaian power project, including more than $2 million in transfers and other expenses.
The documents show that a first payment of $500,000 was wired in April 2015 from Turkey to Ghana through New York, followed by a second transfer of $1.5 million in May 2015.
According to the documents, the $1.5 million payment was made on the same day a senior official signed the deal.
About five Ghanaian officials were also allegedly paid $5,000 each during a trip to Turkey to inspect equipment for the project. The payments were reportedly made in addition to their flights and hotel accommodation.
A further $140,000 was later transferred as a reimbursement settlement, identified in the court documents as the specific charge under a second count.
Breakdown of alleged payments
An August 2015 email cited by prosecutors also provided an itemised breakdown of how the funds were allegedly distributed.
The list included $20,000 for the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), $10,000 for a named Ghanaian official, and $20,000 for Ministry of Power staff referred to as “MoP Girls”.
It also listed $25,000 for the “Power Team” and $20,000 for GRIDCo engineers.
Parliament was allocated $30,000, with the email stating that “Parliament was all paid by Asante.”
The documents further listed between $45,000 and $50,000 for travel and visas for the Turkey trip.
An additional $35,000 was described as “Asante personal”, identified in the email as Berko’s own cut.
The email ended with the phrase, “Kindly perform your magic,” while one recipient was described as waiting for the “holy rain.”
The revelations form part of the court documents underpinning the US prosecution of Berko and have intensified scrutiny of the Ghanaian side of the power transaction, including the roles played by public officials and institutions involved in the approval process.
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