Ghana's $1 million bribery scandal involving Aksa Energy continues to draw scrutiny, with anti-corruption activists pressing for public hearings and questioning the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) over the pace of its investigation, according to multiple reports.
The Africa Report has detailed the case, which centers on allegations that bribes were paid in connection with a Ghanaian official. The outlet's reporting has raised questions about who received the money from Aksa Energy, a Turkish company.
The anti-corruption group PAGA has called for the bribery claims to be examined in live, televised proceedings, according to GhanaWeb. In a separate report, Asaase Radio quoted PAGA as asking what the OSP has been doing for six years on the matter.
The case is linked to Asante Berko, a former Ghanaian diplomat who pleaded guilty in the United States to accepting bribes. In a related development, Ghana's Deputy Attorney General said authorities in Ghana and the US are working together to prosecute others implicated in the scheme, Modern Ghana reported.
Meanwhile, Ghana's Trade Minister K.T. Hammond has said there is no evidence that Kwabena Donkor, a former power minister, received a bribe, according to Modern Ghana. That statement appears aimed at addressing speculation about the scope of the alleged corruption.
The scandal has become a test for Ghana's anti-corruption institutions, with critics demanding transparency and a faster resolution. The OSP has not publicly detailed its progress in the case.
What to watch next: whether the OSP responds to PAGA's demand for public hearings and whether US prosecutors name additional Ghanaian officials in the ongoing case.
