Kwabena Donkor never met Asante Berko, demanded or received money – K.T. Hammond

Former Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor has firmly denied any involvement in the bribery scheme surrounding the controversial Aksa Energy power deal, which led to the US federal conviction of former Goldman Sachs banker Asante Berko. His legal representative, K.T. Hammond, confirmed in a statement to JoyNews that Dr Donkor never met Berko, did not negotiate with him, nor did he demand or receive any money.

The lawyer emphasized the categorical nature of the denials, stating that they were clear and unequivocal. This denial comes after US prosecutors alleged that Berko paid over $1 million in bribes to Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2015 in connection with the power project. Dr Donkor, who served as Power Minister during the relevant period, resigned in December 2015.

Hammond defended his client's position, insisting that any interpretation of the denial to suggest otherwise would be a misreading of the facts. He also clarified that Dr Donkor's role as Power Minister did not prevent him from experiencing the technical inspection of power-generation equipment in Istanbul, Turkey, which was a standard procedure in the due diligence process for the major infrastructure project.

Hammond argued that any claims implying his client's responsibility for independent actions by others were unfounded. He affirmed that Dr Donkor is not charged with any offense and that the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Economic and Organised Crime Office were investigating the broader legal aspects of the case. The former minister's denial remains firm, despite ongoing investigations into the alleged bribery activities.