Kwabena Donkor can’t be held liable for Asante Berko’s alleged corruption – KT Hammond

Kwabena Donkor's lawyer, K.T. Hammond, has argued that his client cannot be held liable for any allegations of corruption linked to former Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) boss Asante Berko. This assertion was made to JoyNews’ Top Story on August 10, 2026, in response to questions about the bribery scandal involving Berko and a power project during the previous administration.

Berko, a former Goldman Sachs banker and TOR's Managing Director, has been accused by US authorities of facilitating millions of dollars in bribes to influence Ghanaian officials related to a power project. Hammond insisted that the mere existence of such allegations does not automatically establish criminal or legal liability against Donkor.

He explained that it is common practice for engineers and technicians to check the quality of equipment before it is imported, and any resulting corrupt dealings were unrelated to the minister. The lawyer's remarks come as there is fresh investigation into the power agreement circumstances and the allegations made by US authorities against Berko.

Donkor, who was Power Minister when the agreement was negotiated and signed, has previously claimed that there was no fraud involved in the deal and defended the government's decision at the time.