Former President John Dramani Mahama and some of his appointees have been fingered in yet, another corruption scandal according a suit filed by the United States of America’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The law suit filed against one Asante Berko, a former employee of international firm Goldman Sachs, said the bribes, totaling $4.5 million were paid to Ghanaian government officials between 2015 and 2016 to facilitate a Turkish Energy Power Purchase Agreement and Power Plant Project deal.
According to the writ of summons which is in the possession of BestNewsGH.com, From approximately 2015 through at least 2016 (the “relevant period”), while employed at the Subsidiary, Berko schemed to bribe various government officials in the Republic of Ghana (“Ghana”) so that a client of the Subsidiary, a Turkish Energy Company (the “Energy Company”), would win a contract (the “Power Purchase Agreement”) to build and operate an electrical power plant in Ghana and sell the power to the Ghanaian government (the “Power Plant Project” or “Project”).
BestNewsGH.com reports that suit as positing that ‘’To effect the corrupt scheme, Berko arranged for the Energy Company to funnel between $3 million to $4.5 million to a Ghana-based company (the “Intermediary Company”) to bribe various government officials responsible for approving the Power Plant Project. The Energy Company transferred at least $2.5 million of the planned $3 million to $4.5 million to the Intermediary Company, all or most of which was used to bribe Ghanaian government officials.’’
The summons continued that ‘’Berko crafted, developed and carried out the bribery scheme with the knowledge, or under circumstances that made it substantially certain, that all or a portion of the money paid to the Intermediary Company would be paid as bribes to Ghanaian government officials to secure support for the Power Plant Project. Berko and the Energy Company timed the largest transfers of funds to coincide with key milestones in the approval process of the Power Plant Project so that funds would be available to bribe the corrupt officials who were in positions to help accomplish those milestones.’’
Read the full writ of summons below:
Source: BestNewsGH.com
