Emails, Bank Records and 'Holy Rain' of Bribes: Inside the US trial of ex-TOR boss Asante Berko

A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker went on trial on Tuesday for allegedly paying government officials in Ghana a "holy rain" of bribes to secure a lucrative power plant deal for a client.

Asante Berko, 52, and his associates outside the bank allegedly paid high-ranking government officials in the West African nation more than $1 million in bribes a decade ago to approve the development and financing of a multimillion-dollar power plant, prosecutor Katherine Raut told a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, in her opening statement.

Berko hid the alleged scheme from Goldman's compliance department, according to the US government. The bank was not accused of wrongdoing and cooperated with the government's investigation.

Berko was a member of the team at Goldman responsible for securing and managing financing for the power plant project. Prosecutors allege that the bribes were paid to obtain the necessary approvals for a Turkish company, in which Goldman held a 16% stake, and that Berko laundered the bribe money through US financial institutions.

Raut told the jury that so many "red flags" were eventually raised at Goldman Sachs that it pulled out of the project. She told jurors that, during the two-week trial, they would see a trove of evidence, including bank records and emails, outlining the alleged bribery scheme.

In one email, Berko directed accomplices to "keep our conversations to private email", and in another 2015 message, an associate of Berko told him an official in Ghana was "waiting for the 'holy rain' and would appreciate it sooner rather than later", according to the prosecutor. The US government has said the messages, along with others, are proof of illicit payoffs.

Berko has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer, Robert Boone, told jurors that the government's evidence would fail to show his client's role in any bribery scheme. Boone compared the government's case to the pop group Milli Vanilli, which was exposed for lip-syncing and not actually singing on its recordings.

"Where are the witnesses to Mr Berko's bribery?" he asked. "Is anyone going to testify to having seen a bribe or being paid a bribe? The answer is no."

Berko is accused of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy, and engaging in a money-laundering scheme. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge against him.