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Asante Kwaku Berko convicted in US over $1m bribery scheme- OSP reveals
A federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, has convicted Ghanaian American businessman and former Tema Oil Refinery Managing Director Asante Kwaku Berko over a bribery scheme involving more than $1 million.
According to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Mr Berko was convicted on August 6, 2026, for conspiring to pay and paying bribes to several Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2015.
The OSP said the payments were linked to the development and financing of a power plant in Ghana under an agreement between the Republic of Ghana and Aksa Enerji Uretim A.S., a Turkish energy company and client of Goldman Sachs.
Mr Berko is a dual citizen of Ghana and the United States.
He previously served as Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery and as an Executive Director in the Investment Banking Division of the US-based Goldman Sachs Group.
The OSP said it provided investigative and evidentiary assistance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States through Ghana’s mutual legal assistance framework.
It said the United States Department of Justice had acknowledged the OSP’s role, describing its assistance as “significant” to the prosecution.
Mr Berko faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. His sentencing has been scheduled for November 10, 2026.
The OSP said the case demonstrates the importance of cooperation between countries in investigating and prosecuting corruption that crosses national borders.
It explained that the cooperation between the FBI and the OSP took place behind the scenes through established legal channels, but the conviction demonstrates the value of such cooperation in tackling cross-border corruption.
The OSP made this known in a public notice issued on August 10, 2026.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Management and staff of Owass FM have announced the passing of media personality, comedian and politician Seth Kwame Dzokoto following a medical emergency during a live morning show discussion at the station earlier today.
According to the station, Dzokoto was participating in a panel discussion on its morning show “Oman Nkoso” when he suddenly took ill and collapsed.
A statement from the station said its team immediately rushed him to the hospital for medical attention, but he was pronounced dead by the attending medical doctor upon arrival.
“We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident, which occurred in the course of our regular programming. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, colleagues, and all those who have been affected by his passing,” the statement said.
Management acknowledged that information about the incident is already circulating in the public domain, but appealed to the public and colleague media houses to respect the privacy of the bereaved family and refrain from circulating unverified information or speculation regarding the circumstances of his death.
Owass FM extended its heartfelt condolences to the family of Seth Kwame Dzokoto.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The State through the Attorney General (AG) has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the suspension of the trial in the case of The Republic v Hanan Aludiba and Faiza Seidu.
On Monday, the Court of Appeal suspended the trial in the case. But the prosecution says it has filed an appeal against the suspension order.
According to the update, the law does not allow a criminal trial to be suspended simply because an accused person has complained about some of the charges on the charge sheet, particularly when those complaints were dismissed as meritless.
It argues that if the Court of Appeal’s decision is allowed to stand, no prosecution will ever be possible, since all it would take for a trial to be suspended is an accused person complaining about anything on the charge sheet.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
