The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the government to take immediate action against individuals allegedly implicated in the bribery case involving former Goldman Sachs banker and former Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Managing Director, Asante Kwaku Berko.
The opposition party argues that the government should act on information that has emerged from proceedings in the United States rather than launch what it describes as another investigation into matters already addressed during the US case.
NPP Deputy General Secretary Haruna Mohammed said individuals whose names have emerged in connection with the case should be subjected to the appropriate legal processes.
Mr Mohammed questioned the government’s decision to investigate the Ghanaian dimension of the case, arguing that the US proceedings have already provided information that should guide immediate action.
“People are named. These are known people. They should go and deal with them. But we have been told that they are going to investigate. Investigate what?” he asked.
He said the government must demonstrate decisiveness and transparency when dealing with allegations of corruption involving public officials or individuals connected to major state projects.
The NPP Deputy General Secretary also used the issue to criticise President John Dramani Mahama, calling on him to take responsibility for what the party considers failures by the administration.
“So these are the matters confronting the nation. President Mahama, if you have failed, just resign and let us live on. That is what we are expecting him to do,” he said.
The NPP’s demands follow the conviction of Asante Kwaku Berko by a US federal jury in Brooklyn over his alleged involvement in a bribery scheme involving Ghanaian government officials.
The case relates to efforts to secure a power plant project in Ghana during the first term of President John Dramani Mahama.
Berko, a former Goldman Sachs banker and former TOR Managing Director, was convicted on charges connected to the alleged bribery scheme and the movement of illicit payments through the US financial system.
The case has since triggered renewed scrutiny in Ghana over the alleged involvement of individuals linked to the project.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has announced that it has commenced investigations into the Ghanaian dimension of the case.
The investigation includes efforts to trace funds and assets that may be linked to suspected criminal conduct.
EOCO has, however, cautioned against automatically treating individuals mentioned in evidence from the US proceedings as criminally liable in Ghana.
The anti-corruption agency stressed that Mr Berko’s conviction in the United States does not, by itself, establish criminal liability for individuals in Ghana.
According to EOCO, anyone whose name appears in evidence obtained through international cooperation will be assessed independently under Ghanaian law.
The NPP nevertheless insists that the information emerging from the US proceedings provides sufficient basis for the government to take action where appropriate.
The opposition party wants authorities to identify individuals who may have participated in or benefited from any alleged wrongdoing and subject them to the relevant legal processes.
The development is expected to intensify political pressure on the Mahama administration as EOCO continues its investigations into the Ghanaian aspects of the Asante Berko bribery case.
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