Special Prosecutor Names Five Officials in TOR Fuel Oil Plant Bribery Probe

Ghana's Office of the Special Prosecutor has widened its investigation into a major bribery scandal that ensnared a former Tema Oil Refinery chief, naming five prominent government officials as persons of interest in the domestic dimension of the case.

Former Power Minister Kwabena Donkor, alongside technical adviser Francis Walkson Kwesi Gyata, Ministry of Power deputy director Solomon Adjetey Sowah, and two Tricop Group Limited officials—Lindin George Nii Mettle and Baffour Ankomah Brobbey—are now under scrutiny as the OSP continues its parallel investigation into whether Ghanaian officials received bribes in connection with a failed power infrastructure deal.

The Berko Conviction and Its Ghanaian Roots

Asante Kweku Berko, former Managing Director of TOR, was convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York on 3 August 2026 for orchestrating a bribery scheme exceeding US$1 million. The scheme allegedly involved payments to Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2015 to facilitate development of a 370-megawatt fuel oil power plant in Tema. The project was structured as a public-private partnership involving the Republic of Ghana, Turkish energy firm AXA Energy Eratim, and Goldman Sachs.

Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng defended the OSP's role in securing Berko's conviction, emphasising that his office provided critical investigative and evidentiary support to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation through Ghana's mutual legal assistance framework. The US Department of Justice formally acknowledged the OSP's contribution to the prosecution.

Understanding Persons of Interest vs. Suspects

A key clarification emerged from Agyebeng's remarks: the five officials named are classified as persons of interest, not suspects. The distinction carries legal significance in Ghana's investigation framework. Agyebeng stressed that such classification does not imply criminal wrongdoing or guilt, and investigators must treat the designations carefully to avoid prejudicing individuals before evidence is properly assessed.

The OSP's investigation has additionally identified other persons of interest among current and former employees of the Volta River Authority, Ghana Grid Company Limited, the Electricity Company of Ghana, and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission.

Why It Matters for Ghana

The case highlights the intersection of international anti-corruption enforcement and domestic accountability. Berko's US conviction demonstrates that even high-ranking Ghanaian officials implicated in corrupt schemes face consequences in foreign jurisdictions if they hold dual citizenship or conduct business abroad. However, Agyebeng made clear that a US conviction does not automatically trigger prosecution in Ghana.

The Special Prosecutor's office is pursuing independent investigations under Ghanaian law, meaning each identified individual must be evaluated on evidence gathered lawfully within Ghana's legal framework. This approach prevents the automatic importation of foreign verdicts into the domestic system, preserving due process protections for accused parties whilst enabling genuine accountability where warranted.

The scandal also underscores vulnerabilities in Ghana's infrastructure procurement processes. The failed 370-megawatt project never materialised, yet officials allegedly received payments that benefited private parties whilst the state bore opportunity costs. For Ghana's anti-corruption drive to gain credibility, the OSP must translate these investigations into prosecutions where the evidence supports charges—a test that will likely define public confidence in the institution's effectiveness beyond defending its past decisions.

The Special Prosecutor called for strengthened cooperation among state institutions and international partners to combat corruption and financial crime. Success will depend on whether the OSP's current investigations translate into formal charges and convictions within Ghana's own courts.