Lawyers for former Power Minister Dr. Kwabena Donkor have strongly denied allegations linking their client to the bribery scandal involving former Goldman Sachs banker Asante Berko, insisting he never solicited, authorised or received any bribe in connection with the deal.
In a statement issued by his lawyer, K.T. Hammond of Cavendish Chambers, Dr. Donkor said he has no knowledge of any request or demand for bribes made in his name.
The controversy dates back to Ghana’s power crisis, popularly known as Dumsor, when government engaged Turkish energy company Aksa Energy to construct a 370-megawatt power plant.
Dr. Donkor, who was then Minister for Power, said a technical delegation was sent to Istanbul to conduct a pre-shipment inspection of equipment as part of the procurement process.
However, his lawyers say his ministerial role in the transaction has been misconstrued following Berko’s conviction in the United States.
The former Minister insists he never met or interacted with Asante Berko, never authorised any personal financial arrangement involving him or intermediaries, and has never received money from Berko or anyone acting on his behalf.
His lawyers maintain that if individuals solicited money while claiming to be acting for a senior Ghanaian official, such conduct was undertaken without Dr. Donkor’s knowledge or authority.
The denial follows the conviction of Asante Berko by a U.S. federal jury in Brooklyn for offences linked to a scheme to pay more than one million dollars in bribes to Ghanaian government officials.
The case has triggered renewed calls from anti-corruption campaigners for Ghanaian authorities to investigate the alleged beneficiaries of the bribery scheme and pursue any persons found culpable.
Dr. Donkor’s legal team, meanwhile, has cautioned the media against publishing what it considers defamatory allegations against the former Minister, warning that it will pursue legal action against publications that unlawfully damage his reputation.
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