Lawyer for former Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor, K.T. Hammond, says he has no instructions from his client indicating whether the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has contacted him over allegations of bribery linked to the Aksa Energy power deal.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Mr Hammond was asked whether Dr Donkor had been contacted by either the OSP or the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) following developments in the United States concerning the transaction.
Asked specifically whether the OSP had reached out to his client, he responded: “I’m not so instructed.”
His comments come amid renewed scrutiny in Ghana of allegations surrounding the Aksa Energy power agreement and alleged payments connected to the transaction.
Dr Donkor was the Minister responsible for Power when the agreement between the government and Aksa Energy was negotiated.
Mr Hammond said his client accepts that, as minister, he exercised oversight responsibility over activities at the ministry and ensured that the agreement went through the processes required for its submission to Parliament for ratification.
He, however, strongly rejected any suggestion that Dr Donkor was involved in demanding or receiving improper payments.
According to the lawyer, the former minister neither met nor negotiated with Asante Berko, who has been at the centre of the bribery case in the United States.
“He didn’t meet this man, Berko. He never negotiated with him. He never made any demand,” Mr Hammond said.
He maintained that Dr Donkor never demanded or received money in connection with the transaction and could not be held responsible for the actions of individuals who may have invoked his name without his authority.
“If anybody goes on the frolic of their own and makes some outrageous and preposterous demands on his behalf, he did not authorise that. Certain individuals would have done it for their own benefit, and he cannot be held responsible for that,” he stated.
Mr Hammond also defended the involvement of technical officials who travelled to Istanbul to inspect equipment intended for the power project.
He explained that such inspections were standard practice in major power projects and allowed engineers and technical representatives of relevant institutions to verify the quality, quantity and suitability of equipment before shipment to Ghana.
The Aksa Energy controversy has attracted renewed attention following developments in the United States, with Ghanaian authorities examining the circumstances surrounding the transaction and the possible involvement of individuals in Ghana.
Investigations are expected to establish whether any Ghanaian officials were involved in the alleged improper payments and whether any offences were committed.
