The US conviction of the former Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery, Asante Kwaku Berko, should be a starting point for Ghanaian authorities to establish the identities of all persons who may have been involved in the alleged bribery scheme.

The spokesperson for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Gender Committee, Grace Akosua Amoabeng, said the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) must conduct a thorough investigation into the Ghanaian aspect of the case and make the findings public.

Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning on Tuesday, August 11, she welcomed EOCO’s decision to take over the investigation, saying there had been calls for Ghanaian security agencies to get involved in the matter.

“I am happy EOCO is taking over the case because when it started, a lot of people were advocating for our own security agencies to get involved.”

She urged the investigative body to establish the identities of all individuals linked to the alleged scheme and determine what happened on the Ghanaian side.

“They should investigate it well and bring out the names of the people involved so we can be clear on exactly what happened.”

Mr Berko was recently convicted in the United States in a bribery and money-laundering case involving a multimillion-dollar power project in Ghana.

A US federal jury found him guilty of conspiring to pay, and paying, more than $1 million in bribes to Ghanaian government officials to facilitate the development and financing of a power plant for Turkish energy company Aska Enerji, a client of Goldman Sachs.

His conviction has since shifted attention to Ghana, particularly the identities of officials who may have allegedly received the bribes and the movement of funds and assets connected to the case.

EOCO is now taking over the Ghanaian aspect of the investigation, including tracing money and assets potentially linked to the alleged scheme.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) had earlier assisted US authorities with evidence during the investigation. US authorities acknowledged the OSP's contribution as providing “significant assistance to this prosecution.”

For Madam Amoabeng, the next step should be for Ghanaian authorities to establish the full extent of the alleged scheme and determine whether there is sufficient evidence for further action against anyone found to have been involved.

While Mr Berko has been convicted in the US, questions remain about what happened locally and whether other individuals participated in the alleged bribery scheme.

The outcome of Ghana's investigation could therefore determine whether the US conviction marks the end of the matter or the beginning of further legal action in Ghana