Justice Abdulai, a private legal practitioner, has warned President John Dramani Mahama that calls by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for a public inquiry into the AKSA scandal are a trap.
According to Justice Abdulai, the NPP’s call is not the right call and must not be heeded by the President.
He stressed that President Mahama must act swiftly and decisively to investigate the scandal and to ensure that this matter is nipped in the bud, as it originated at the time he was president in his first term.
Speaking on Accra-based TV3’s Key Points, he said, “I think we need to remember that it is not the right call, whether by the NPP or by whoever. I think that a call by the NPP is a trap”.
“For such calls, I think it is inappropriate to make such calls, and I don’t think it is fair for the people of Ghana. My call is for the president to act swiftly and decisively and ensure that this matter is nipped in the bud because this originated at the time he was president. This was part of the issues that culminated in his massive loss. This matter has caused us so much, and I think that it has to end in his time.
It can only end in his time if he puts his feet on the ground to make this work, and I call on the president for a swift criminal investigation into the matter. I think that this is the best way to deal with this issue”.
“It must be a holistic one, with everyone involved. From the day AKSA came to Ghana to today, all contracts that have been entered into with AKSA, because if it is rotten in the head, it is rotten in the heart and everywhere else. We need to look at everything AKSA has done and bring this to an end”, he added.
It will be recalled that the former TOR MD, Asante Berko, was convicted by a federal jury in the United States over a bribery and money laundering scheme linked to a power plant project in Ghana.
Asante Kwaku Berko, a dual US-Ghanaian citizen, was convicted in Brooklyn on August 6, 2026, on all counts in the indictment, following a nine-day trial before US District Judge Diane Gujarati in the Eastern District of New York.
According to information gathered, Asante Berko and others conspired to pay more than US$1 million in bribes to Ghanaian government officials to help secure a multimillion-dollar power plant deal for Turkish energy company AKSA Enerji Uretim A.S.
The shady deal centres on a power plant deal that was under development and financing between December 2014 and July 2015.
However, details provided by US court documents disclosed that several Ghanaian officials allegedly received bribes to facilitate a power plant deal during Ghana’s power crisis in 2014 and 2015.
The US court documents further indicate that members of Ghana’s Parliament were among the alleged recipients of bribes.
They disclosed that in August 2015, Berko and his co-conspirators discussed $250,000 in bribe payments to various individuals, including $46,000 to Members of the Ghanaian Parliament who had ratified the agreement between Aksa and the Government of Ghana, revealing that payment to the MPs was made by Berko himself.
Meanwhile, the NPP has said they do not trust the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, to independently investigate and prosecute individuals caught up in the controversial AKSA energy deal.
According to the NPP, they have lost confidence in the Attorney General’s ability to handle the matter.
They argue that the AG’s decision to discontinue or abandon a number of high-profile prosecutions involving individuals connected to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) raises questions about the government’s commitment to accountability.
The NPP cited several cases in which the Attorney General entered a nolle prosequi, resulting in the discontinuation of criminal proceedings against members of his own party.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, August 14, Manhyia South Member of Parliament Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah stated, “NPP wishes to place on record its lack of confidence in the current Attorney General as far as the handling of the AKSA energy matter is concerned.
Since assuming office on January 22, 2025, Dr Dominic Ayine, as Attorney General, has been associated with or has been keen on the filing of discontinuance or nolle prosequi or abandonment of prosecutions involving persons connected with both the previous government and the current NDC administration.
“We recall in particular the Attorney General’s entry of nolle prosequi in matters including the SSNIT scandal, the Saglemi housing project case, the COCOBOD-related cases, and the UniBank case, among others. These decisions have raised serious questions about accountability, the recovery of public funds and the state in which taxpayers may ultimately bear the financial consequences.
“Against this background, we do not believe that the Attorney General can command the confidence of the Ghanaian public to independently investigate or prosecute allegations involving officials or politically connected persons of the NDC.”
@ghnow_ We were here at 4:30am Live scenes from KFC Circle #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Ghana Police arrives to restore calm after several chaos at KFC Circle #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
