Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has intensified its investigation into the Ghanaian dimension of the bribery case involving former Goldman Sachs investment banker Asante Kwaku Berko, but says it will not identify the individuals under scrutiny at this stage.
The investigation follows a request received last year from US authorities examining an alleged bribery scheme linked to Mr Berko’s time in the private sector. The request sought information about “specific individuals” in Ghana, including a former Minister of State and public servants.
Mr Berko, who later served as Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), was convicted in the United States in relation to the allegations. EOCO said it had been monitoring the US proceedings and had worked with Ghana’s Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice on the local aspects of the case.
In a statement issued on Monday, 10 August 2026, EOCO said the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice had immediately contacted the relevant US authorities after the conclusion of the proceedings against Mr Berko.
The Ghanaian authorities will seek evidence, records and other information through lawful international cooperation channels. EOCO said the Attorney-General had since instructed it to escalate its work as those materials became available.
“EOCO will not disclose sensitive operational information that could compromise ongoing investigations, the integrity of evidence or any future prosecution.”
The statement was issued by EOCO’s Corporate Communications department on behalf of Raymond Archer, the acting Executive Secretary of the organisation.
Investigation and asset recovery
EOCO said it had deliberately waited for the US case to conclude before determining the full scope and direction of its investigation in Ghana.
It said evidence emerging from the proceedings could be important in establishing how far a comprehensive Ghanaian investigation should extend, given the allegations and the international nature of the case.
The office said its role was not simply to open an investigation in response to public pressure, but to ensure its work was based on evidence, complied with the law and could support criminal proceedings or asset-recovery action where appropriate.
As part of that approach, EOCO said tracing and recovering assets would be a central part of its investigative plan. It will examine whether money, benefits, property or other assets were obtained from or connected to suspected criminal conduct.
Where the evidence and Ghanaian law allow, the office said it would seek measures to preserve, recover and return those assets to the state.
EOCO said its responsibility extended beyond determining whether an offence had taken place. It said the recovery of public resources unlawfully acquired or dissipated through economic or organised crime was an essential part of enforcement.
Investigators will therefore follow the financial trail, including relevant transactions, beneficiaries, assets and proceeds that fall within the office’s jurisdiction.
No automatic liability
EOCO stressed that Mr Berko’s conviction in the United States did not, by itself, establish that anyone in Ghana had committed a criminal offence.
Any person identified in evidence obtained through international cooperation will be assessed separately, based on the material relating to that individual and under Ghanaian law.
The office said its cooperation with US law-enforcement agencies and the Attorney-General’s Office remained active. It described the process of obtaining official records as necessary to ensure that the Ghanaian investigation was comprehensive, evidence-based and capable of producing a lawful outcome.
EOCO acknowledged the substantial public interest in the case but said operational details would remain confidential while the investigation continued.
It said it remained committed to pursuing economic and organised crime “without fear or favour” and recovering assets and public resources whenever the evidence and law required it. Further information will be released at the appropriate time.
