Martin Amidu
Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of focusing on the prosecution of political opponents while failing to act on investigation report on persons implicated in the AKSA bribery scandal.
Mr. Amidu said the government should prioritise investigations and prosecutions arising from the bribery deal involving a Turkish energy company and Ghana’s power sector instead of using corruption cases as a tool to target political adversaries.
In a statement issued on Monday, August 10, 2026 titled, “Will President Mahama Stop Deceiving Ghanaians and Tell Us What Happened to the OSP Investigations into the AKSA Bribery Deal?”, the former Special Prosecutor asked why investigations into the matter, which began under the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in 2020, had not resulted in prosecutions.
He argued that with the investigative resources available to the OSP, a completed case docket should have been prepared before the NDC returned to power after the December 7, 2024 elections.
“With the investigative tools and other tradecraft available to the Government of Ghana (GoG), a completed investigation docket must have been ready by the OSP for prosecution or other law enforcement agencies investigating other criminal aspects of the Asante Berko-AKSA Bribery deal before the NDC won the December 7, 2024 elections,” he stated.
He questioned why the case had allegedly disappeared from the list of ongoing investigations by the OSP, as it was not currently listed on the office’s website.
According to him, it was “insulting to the intelligence of the electorate” for the Attorney-General to announce that the government was working with United States authorities to prosecute persons implicated in the bribery scheme after the conviction of Asante Kwaku Berko by a US court.
“The electorate did not vote massively for the John Mahama government to be manipulated with partisan, selective, and political propaganda narratives about fighting corruption, galamsey, and other crimes as though Ghanaians are unthinking beings,” he pointed out.
“When an Attorney-General enters nolle prosequi and discontinues other pending cases in the courts of law against members of his political party and government, and turns round immediately to prosecute adversaries in the departed government and political party, his government and office forfeit the trust of an objective and impartial electorate,” he added.
The former Special Prosecutor also cited the prosecution of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as an example of what he described as politically motivated action.
He also questioned the government’s handling of the case involving former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, whose conviction by the High Court was overturned after an appeal.
Mr. Amidu said the Asante Berko-AKSA bribery investigation had been pending since April 2020 and questioned why the government had not called for prosecution of public officials allegedly connected to the transaction after assuming office on January 7, 2025.
He argued that the government’s decision to act after Asante Berko’s conviction in the United States created the impression that it was responding to external pressure rather than pursuing an independent anti-corruption fight.
“The GoG is not a junior partner or an adjunct of the United States of America Government for the GoG to wait until a US Court convicts a US-Ghanaian citizen, Asante Kwaku Berko, before announcing to the Ghanaian public what the government intends doing,” Mr. Amidu stated.
Asante Kwaku Berko was investigated by US authorities over allegations that he facilitated payments to Ghanaian public officials between 2014 and 2017 in connection with a power plant development contract involving AKSA Power Generation.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah
