Former TOR Chief Asante Berko is facing extradition to the US amidst allegations of bribery involving Ghanaian officials during his tenure at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
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Berko, accused of conspiring with Ghanaian officials and others in a bribery scheme benefiting himself, the bank, and a Turkish energy company, is contesting the extradition order in a UK appeal.
Prosecution filings revealed details of the alleged bribery plot aimed at facilitating the construction of a power plant in Ghana.
During a recent hearing, Berko’s legal team argued against the extradition, citing that the charges did not qualify as extradition offences and asserting that most of the alleged acts occurred in London.
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However, US government lawyers countered, emphasizing the necessity of the extradition process. They claimed that Berko and other co-conspirators bribed Ghanaian officials with over $700,000, with reimbursements facilitated through fraudulent invoices issued to the energy firm.
These funds were allegedly transferred from Turkey, routed through US bank accounts, and then directed to Ghana.
Berko has previously faced legal action from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2020 over the same conduct. He resolved the SEC’s lawsuit by agreeing to pay over $329,000 to regulators without admitting or denying the allegations.
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