The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has rejected claims that it lacks the capacity and track record to investigate the Ghanaian aspect of the corruption allegations involving former Goldman Sachs investment banker and former Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Managing Director, Asante Kwaku Berko.

The OSP said it played a significant role in the United States prosecution of Mr Berko by providing investigative and evidentiary materials to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through Ghana’s established mutual legal assistance framework.

According to the anti-corruption agency, the support provided by Ghana was recognised by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) as contributing significantly to the successful prosecution.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, August 26, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng questioned suggestions that the OSP, despite its involvement in the US case, is not capable of investigating the Ghana dimension of the matter.

He said some officials have argued that the OSP should not be the institution handling the investigation because it allegedly lacks the necessary capability and track record.

• Read also: OSP helped secure conviction of former TOR boss Asante Berko in US bribery case

“The institution which provided significant assistance to the successful prosecution of Berko in the United States rather lacks the capability and track record to investigate the Ghana dimension, and that other institutions which were not even involved in the matter are more competent than the OSP.”

Mr Agyebeng said the argument was difficult to reconcile with the OSP’s previous cooperation with the FBI on the case.

“Once again, we did a case with the FBI, and you are saying we are not competent to handle the case. What kind of logic is that?”

He stressed that the OSP does not view the fight against corruption as a contest between state institutions, but rather as an area requiring cooperation.

“At the OSP, we do not regard a fight against corruption as a competition between institutions and as pitching one public agency against the other.”

The Special Prosecutor said the fight against corruption would be more effective when investigative and intelligence agencies share information and work together.

• Read also: How Asante Kwaku Berko allegedly paid over $1 million in bribes to former minister, MPs, and gov’t officials to secure deal for Turkish client

He warned that a lack of cooperation among state institutions could undermine efforts to tackle corruption and lead to undesirable consequences.

“History teaches us that while investigative and intelligence agencies compete among themselves and fail to cooperate with each other, unhappy events ensue.”