AKSA Bribery Scandal: Pressure Mounts for Parliamentary Probe

ACCRA, Ghana — Pressure is mounting for Parliament to investigate fresh allegations surrounding the AKSA power agreement, following the conviction of former Goldman Sachs banker and former Tema Oil Refinery Managing Director Asante Kwaku Berko in the United States.

The People’s Alliance for Governance and Accountability (PAGA), a pressure group focused on governance and accountability, is calling for a full parliamentary investigation into allegations that money was paid to some Ghanaian Members of Parliament in connection with the approval of the AKSA power transaction.

The demand comes after evidence accepted in Berko’s U.S. criminal prosecution brought renewed attention to the Ghanaian side of the controversial power deal.

Pressure group wants Parliament to investigate

PAGA says Parliament must establish what happened during the consideration and ratification of the AKSA Emergency Power Agreement in 2015.

According to the group, 18 MPs served on Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee during the relevant period when the agreement was reviewed, approved and ratified.

PAGA argues that if evidence accepted in the U.S. proceedings indicates that payments were made to some Ghanaian MPs in connection with the transaction, Parliament should determine who was involved and whether any parliamentary processes were compromised.

The group is calling for Parliament to establish an appropriate investigative mechanism and summon the relevant individuals and institutions.

It says the investigation should be conducted without partisan considerations.

What happened in the Berko case?

Berko, a Ghanaian banker and former Goldman Sachs executive, was convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, over a bribery and money-laundering scheme linked to efforts to secure support for a power project in Ghana.

The U.S. prosecution alleged that more than US$1 million in bribes were paid to multiple Ghanaian officials in connection with the development and financing of the power plant.

His conviction has triggered renewed scrutiny in Ghana over the circumstances surrounding the power agreement and whether other individuals involved in the transaction should face investigation.

PAGA: Investigation is not conviction

PAGA has stressed that its demand should not be interpreted as an attempt to convict anyone outside a court of law.

The group says it wants Parliament to investigate the allegations, establish the facts and pursue further action where evidence supports it.

That distinction is important.

Being mentioned in connection with an investigation or alleged transaction does not mean an individual committed a crime.

Any person eventually accused of wrongdoing would be entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Why the issue matters

The renewed controversy raises broader questions about the transparency of major public-sector power agreements and the safeguards surrounding parliamentary approval of such transactions.

The AKSA agreement was considered during a period when Ghana was dealing with serious electricity supply challenges and was entering into emergency power arrangements to address the country's energy needs.

The latest allegations therefore go beyond the Berko case itself.

They raise questions about:

• How the AKSA agreement was negotiated and approved;
• Whether parliamentary procedures were properly followed;
• Whether any improper payments influenced decision-making;
• What oversight mechanisms were in place;
• And whether other people involved in the transaction should be investigated.

Calls extend beyond Parliament

The AKSA controversy is also attracting calls for further scrutiny by Ghana's anti-corruption institutions.

A separate current discussion has questioned what happened to previous investigations into the deal and whether Ghanaian authorities should reopen or deepen their inquiries in light of the U.S. conviction.

This means the issue could develop into a wider examination of Ghana's emergency power contracts rather than remaining solely a U.S. criminal case involving Berko.

The big question now

The central question facing Ghanaian authorities is no longer simply what happened to Asante Berko in the United States.

It is whether the evidence from the U.S. proceedings contains information that can help Ghana determine whether any public official or other person in Ghana committed an offence in connection with the AKSA transaction.

For Parliament, the immediate question is whether it will respond to PAGA's demand for an investigation.

For Ghana's anti-corruption institutions, the issue is whether the available evidence justifies further action.

And for the public, the bigger concern is whether the country can establish exactly how a major public power transaction was handled and whether any public institution was compromised.

Global Pulse GH will follow the story

The demand for a parliamentary probe represents a significant new development in the AKSA controversy.

However, no Ghanaian MP should be described as having received a bribe unless that has been established by credible evidence and due legal process.

Global Pulse GH will continue to monitor Parliament, the Attorney-General's Office and Ghana's anti-corruption institutions for confirmed developments.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more verified information becomes available.