Former Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Managing Director Asante Kwaku Berko faces up to 30 years in prison after a federal jury in the United States convicted him over a bribery and money laundering scheme linked to a power plant project in Ghana.
Berko, a dual US-Ghanaian citizen and former Goldman Sachs executive, was found guilty on all counts in the indictment on August 6, 2026.
The verdict followed a nine-day trial before US District Judge Diane Gujarati in the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn.
The case involved allegations that Berko and others conspired to pay more than US$1 million in bribes to Ghanaian government officials to help secure a multimillion-dollar power plant deal for Turkish energy company Aksa Enerji Uretim A.S.
US prosecutors accused Berko of using the American financial system to facilitate payments connected to the alleged bribery scheme.
The jury convicted him of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), violating the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Berko has been remanded in custody while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for November 10, 2026.
The maximum penalties attached to the charges could result in a combined prison sentence of up to 30 years.
The case centres on a Ghana power plant deal that was being developed and financed between December 2014 and July 2015.
At the time, Berko was an executive director in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs and was involved in managing the transaction between the bank’s client, Aksa Enerji, and the Republic of Ghana.
Berko was arrested in the United Kingdom in November 2022 following an Interpol Red Notice.
He was later extradited to the United States in July 2024 to face prosecution.
His conviction marks a major development in a case that US authorities have pursued for several years.
Berko now remains in custody as he awaits his November sentencing.
