The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has identified former Power Minister Kwabena Donkor and four other individuals as persons of interest in its investigation into the Ghanaian dimension of the bribery case involving former Goldman Sachs banker 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 Limited.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng disclosed the names on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, during a press conference to provide an update on the OSP’s investigation.
The development comes weeks after Berko was convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, on August 3, 2026, for his role in a bribery scheme involving more than US$1 million.
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 bribe several Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2015.
The alleged payments were connected to the development and financing of a 370-megawatt fuel oil power plant in Tema under an agreement involving the Government of Ghana, Turkish energy company AXA Energy Eratim and Goldman Sachs.
Mr Agyebeng said the OSP supported the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with investigative and evidentiary assistance through Ghana’s mutual legal assistance framework.
He noted that the United States Department of Justice had acknowledged the OSP’s assistance in the successful prosecution of Berko.
However, the Special Prosecutor cautioned against treating the five individuals identified as persons of interest as suspects or persons already found culpable.
“Please bear in mind, and this point should be strongly emphasised: that the person of interest is not necessarily a suspect,” he said.
Mr Agyebeng explained that the classifications have distinct meanings within an investigation and should not be used interchangeably.
He further stressed that being identified as a person of interest does not amount to a finding of criminal liability.
“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 said.
The OSP disclosed that its investigation has also identified other persons of interest, including some current and former employees of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) and former officials of the Ministry of Power.
According to the OSP, the investigation into the Ghanaian dimension of the case remains ongoing.
Mr Agyebeng also explained that Berko’s conviction in the United States does not, by itself, establish grounds for prosecuting any individual in Ghana.
He said the conduct of each person must be independently assessed under Ghanaian law and supported by lawfully obtained evidence sufficient to sustain 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.
He added that the OSP would, however, prosecute any individual where the evidence establishes a proper legal basis for doing so.
Donkor denies allegations
Former Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor has previously denied any involvement in the bribery allegations linked to Asante Kweku Berko.
Through his lawyers, Cavendish Chambers, Dr Donkor said he had never met Berko, demanded money from him or received any personal benefit in connection with the power project.
His lawyers, in a statement issued on August 10, said their client had “absolutely no knowledge” of the allegations linking him to the US bribery case and had “completely and emphatically” denied any knowledge of a request or demand for money.
The denial came amid public speculation over the identity of a former Ghanaian Minister of Power referenced in the US case.
