AKSA bribery claims: Parliament finds no evidence against MPs, staff

Parliament has concluded an internal review into allegations of bribery surrounding the 2015 AKSA emergency power agreement, finding no evidence that any Member of Parliament or Parliamentary Service officer received the alleged payments. Speaker Alban S.K. Bagbin stated that the review, which examined parliamentary records and conducted interviews, did not establish that any MP or officer took the money.

However, he emphasized that the review's findings should not be interpreted as establishing that no bribery occurred or absolving those who may have received payments. The Speaker has forwarded the report and supporting documents to the Office of the Special Prosecutor and other investigative agencies for further examination. The controversy is linked to Asante Kwaku Berko, a former Goldman Sachs employee who was convicted in the United States for his role in facilitating bribe payments to Ghanaian officials connected to the Turkish energy company AKSA.

The review aimed to establish the circumstances surrounding Parliament's approval of the agreement, identify those involved, and determine what information Parliament could provide to aid investigations. The Speaker noted that the review was administrative in nature and did not have the authority to compel witnesses or access bank records or financial transactions.

He cautioned against treating the findings as a final determination and emphasized that criminal investigations and the prosecution of any wrongdoing rest with law enforcement agencies.