Parliament has concluded that no Member of Parliament or Parliamentary Service officer received money allegedly paid to influence the approval of the 2015 AKSA emergency power agreement. The finding follows an internal administrative review commissioned by Speaker Alban S.K. Bagbin into claims that about $46,000 was paid to individuals connected with the House in connection with the agreement.
Bagbin clarified that the outcome does not establish that no bribes were paid or absolve anyone who may have received such payments. He said the report, along with supporting documents, will be forwarded to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and other relevant investigative agencies for further examination.
The review examined parliamentary records, including Votes and Proceedings, official reports, committee documents, the Committee on Mines and Energy report and the resolution approving the agreement. Former and serving Parliamentary Service officers and a former chairperson of the Committee on Mines and Energy were interviewed.
Neither documentary evidence nor interviews established that an MP or Parliamentary Service officer received the alleged payments. However, Bagbin cautioned that the findings should not be treated as a final determination of the bribery allegations, noting that the exercise was administrative and lacked the authority to compel witnesses, take evidence under oath or access bank records and communications outside Parliament.
The controversy is linked to the conviction in the United States of former Goldman Sachs employee Asante Kwaku Berko, who is awaiting sentencing for facilitating bribe payments to Ghanaian officials in the AKSA power project. Bagbin said the review was intended to establish the circumstances surrounding Parliament’s consideration and approval of the agreement and to identify those who took part in the process.
Bagbin emphasized that responsibility for investigating financial transactions and other evidence beyond Parliament’s reach rests with the appropriate law enforcement agencies. The transmission of the report to the OSP and other bodies is intended to enable further inquiries deemed necessary.
What to watch next: investigators from the OSP and other agencies will review the parliamentary records and interview data to determine whether further action is warranted.
