Speaker Bagbin forwards AKSA Energy bribery deal review report to Special Prosecutor

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has forwarded an internal review report on the 2015 AKSA Energy power deal to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) after the administrative investigation found no evidence that any Member of Parliament or parliamentary staff received a bribe in connection with the transaction.

Addressing the House on Wednesday, November 11, Mr Bagbin said the review, which examined allegations of a US$46,000 payment to lawmakers, had not established that any MP or member of the Parliamentary Service received money to influence the approval of the contract.

He said the report, together with supporting documents, had been submitted to the OSP and other relevant investigative authorities to assist their ongoing investigations.

"Honourable Members, I have accordingly directed that the report of the Review, together with all supporting documentation, be formally transmitted to the Office of the Special Prosecutor and any other relevant investigative body to assist their investigations and any further enquiries necessary to establish the full facts," he said.

The review was commissioned by Mr Bagbin in his capacity as Chairman of the Parliamentary Service Board. It examined parliamentary records, including Hansard, Votes and Proceedings, and documents from the Mines and Energy Committee.

The panel also interviewed current and former parliamentary staff as well as a former chairman of the committee.

Parliamentary records indicate that the emergency power agreement was presented to the House on June 23, 2015, referred to the relevant committee and reported back on July 16, 2015, before receiving parliamentary approval the following day.

The Speaker said the Clerk to Parliament had been directed to preserve all relevant records to support the OSP's ongoing investigation into the AKSA deal.

However, he cautioned that the internal review should not be interpreted as an exoneration of any individual or proof that no improper payments were made outside Parliament.

He explained that the exercise was administrative in nature and did not have the powers required for a criminal investigation, including the authority to compel the production of bank statements and other documents or take evidence under oath.

The OSP had earlier identified persons of interest in the matter, making it necessary for the criminal investigation to establish whether any payments were made and the individuals involved.

Mr Bagbin said the decision to conduct the review and forward its findings to the investigative authorities was guided by the need for Parliament to uphold the highest standards of accountability.

"These decisions rest on a simple conviction, and that conviction is an institution charged with holding others to account must itself meet the highest standards of transparency, integrity and accountability," he said.

The investigation follows the conviction of former Goldman Sachs investment banker and former Tema Oil Refinery Managing Director Asante Kwaku Berko by a federal jury in Brooklyn, United States, on August 6, 2026.

US prosecutors established that Mr Berko arranged more than US$1 million in bribes between 2014 and 2015 to help Turkish energy company Aksa Enerji secure the Ghanaian power plant contract.

He was found guilty of offences under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering laws before US District Judge Diane Gujarati.

Mr Berko faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 30 years. The Office of the Special Prosecutor assisted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the case under mutual legal assistance arrangements.