Businessman and economist, Dr Kofi Amoah, has challenged President John Mahama to seize what he describes as a rare “perfect storm” created by the recent conviction of former Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Managing Director Asante Kwaku Berko to demonstrate his administration’s zero tolerance for corruption.
According to Dr Amoah, the conviction of the former Goldman Sachs executive in the United States over a bribery and money-laundering scheme linked to a Ghanaian power project has handed Ghana critical evidence and an opportunity to pursue those on the Ghanaian side of the alleged corruption scandal.
In a commentary on Twitter, Dr Amoah said the US judicial process, with cooperation from the United Kingdom, had already done the difficult part by bringing the case to judgment and providing information that could help Ghana identify officials and parliamentarians who may have participated in or benefited from the alleged scheme.
He therefore urged President Mahama to direct the Attorney-General to pursue the matter and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
“Have your Attorney-General pursue this case,” Dr Amoah urged, arguing that Ghana must put “teeth” behind its stated opposition to corruption and pursue those connected to what he described as the “dumsor” corruption scandal.
His comments come after a US federal jury convicted Asante Kwaku Berko on charges including conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, violating the Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the US Department of Justice, Berko played a key role in a power plant transaction involving the Government of Ghana and Turkish energy company Aksa Energy while serving as an Executive Director in Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division. Prosecutors alleged that Berko and his co-conspirators paid more than $1 million in bribes to Ghanaian government officials to secure approvals for the project.
The prosecution also alleged that payments were discussed in connection with Ghana’s Minister of Power, a senior adviser and members of Parliament who had ratified the agreement. The US authorities, however, have not identified the Ghanaian officials named in the case in the latest conviction announcement.
It is this unresolved Ghanaian dimension that Dr Amoah believes President Mahama must now confront.
He noted that Ghana has spent years establishing anti-corruption institutions, including the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor, while enacting numerous laws intended to combat corruption.
Yet, in his view, the country has continued to suffer from corruption that deprives ordinary citizens of resources that could otherwise finance development.
“Our country has become a looting ground for the powerful whilst the ordinary people suffer and retrogress regardless of how hard they work,” he said.
Dr Amoah believes the current circumstances are particularly significant because President Mahama returned to office on a platform that included a strong anti-corruption message and the ORAL initiative (Operation Recover All Loot).
He argued that the Berko conviction presents an opportunity for the President to demonstrate that the fight against corruption will not be restricted to individuals associated with political opponents.
In a particularly pointed observation, Dr Amoah noted that while the individuals targeted by ORAL may largely be associated with the previous governing party, the Ghanaian officials allegedly implicated in the “dumsor” corruption case appear, from the available information, to be largely associated with the current governing political party.
He described the situation as a moment when Ghana’s political leadership could demonstrate whether its anti-corruption commitment is genuinely principled or politically selective.
“The people who seem culpable in the ‘dumsor’ corruption judgement by a US court seem to be largely, not exclusively, from the ruling political party,” he wrote.
For Dr Amoah, that makes the moment particularly important.
He appealed directly to President Mahama not to allow the opportunity to pass, describing it as a potentially once-in-a-generation chance to confront corruption at what he considers its most fertile centres; government ministries and Parliament.
“Our dearest President Mahama, only God knows the real reason why you’re the head of state at this particular juncture in Ghana’s history. Please don’t fail us, don’t fail Ghana because this opportunity of a perfect storm to nip corruption at its most fertile center, ministries and parliament, may never come in another hundred years,” he said.
The economist and businessman further argued that the conviction could mark a turning point in Ghana’s long-running struggle against corruption if the government follows the evidence and pursues accountability on the Ghanaian side.
He framed the moment as one in which President Mahama can move beyond declarations and demonstrate through action that corruption will have consequences, regardless of who is implicated.
“Corruption must never pay; Ghana must act,” Dr Amoah declared.
He also linked the fight against corruption to Ghana’s broader development trajectory, arguing that the country cannot fulfil the promise of independence while corruption and greed continue to undermine public institutions and deprive citizens of opportunities.
“Cleanse Ghana of corruption so that Nkrumah’s independence for Ghana can meet Mahama’s freedom from corruption and our dear country can really start her journey for progress on a sound and hopeful footing,” he said.
CORRUPTION MUST NEVER PAY, GHANA MUST ACT
The US Govt thru its Judicial Service has gifted to the Govt and people of Ghana a torchlight and case records to proceed in identifying high level Ghanaian officials and parliamentarians who participated and/or benefitted from the…
— CitizenKofi (@amoah_citizen) August 7, 2026
The US conviction has therefore shifted the focus beyond the fate of the former Goldman Sachs executive and towards the question of whether Ghana will investigate and, where the evidence warrants, prosecute those allegedly involved locally.
The US case itself has already established that the alleged bribery scheme involved Ghanaian officials and that payments were allegedly made in connection with securing government approvals for the power project. The US authorities have said the conviction demonstrates their commitment to prosecuting corruption involving international business transactions.
For Dr Amoah, the next move belongs to Ghana.
He believes President Mahama now has the opportunity to make a defining statement about his administration’s attitude towards corruption, not through another declaration, but through the pursuit of accountability wherever the evidence leads.
“Luck = Preparation + Opportunity,” he wrote. “When you’re prepared and the opportunity knocks, it is your luck to pounce and redeem what you have been searching for.”
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
