Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has defended the New Patriotic Party’s record on corruption prosecutions, insisting that no NPP government has used a nolle prosequi to discontinue corruption cases involving its appointees.

His comments follow claims by majority chief whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor that the NPP had also discontinued corruption cases through nolle prosequi, although he did not immediately identify specific cases.

Baffour Awuah rejected the claim, saying the NPP had prosecuted former government officials where there was evidence of wrongdoing.

He cited the case of former sports minister Alhaji Mallam Issah, who served under former President John Agyekum Kufuor, as an example.

“Under the New Patriotic administration, a former appointee under President Kufuor, Alhaji Mallam Issah was prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to prison,” he said.

The Manhyia South MP was speaking amid renewed attention on the AKSA Power transaction following allegations by the United States Department of Justice involving former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner Berko.

US prosecutors have alleged that Berko participated in a scheme to bribe Ghanaian government officials to secure and retain business connected to a power plant project in Ghana between December 2014 and March 2017.

He was extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States in July 2024 to face charges under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money-laundering laws.

Baffour Awuah said the allegations raise serious concerns about the integrity of public decision-making and Ghana’s ability to detect and prosecute corruption.

He argued that the alleged involvement of public officials in decisions surrounding the AKSA Energy deal makes the matter particularly serious.

According to him, Ghana must not ignore allegations of corruption simply because related proceedings are taking place in another country.

“We cannot gloss over them because they are becoming one too many,” he said, arguing that repeated cases involving Ghanaian public contracts point to weaknesses in the country’s systems.

He said an investigation into the AKSA transaction should establish the facts, identify officials who may have been involved and determine whether laws or procurement procedures were breached.

Baffour Awuah maintained that the NPP’s call for an inquiry was therefore justified and should lead to concrete action, including prosecution where evidence of criminal wrongdoing is established.

He also called for institutional reforms to address any weaknesses identified through the investigation.