The Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has defended the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) call for a public inquiry into the Aksa Energy bribery scandal, saying the process could expose and shame persons found culpable.

Interestingly, the list of alleged beneficiaries includes members of both the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition NPP. Many fear that little may come of the scandal, despite some Ghanaians viewing it as an opportunity to address the canker of corruption.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, August 13, 2026, Mr Baffour Awuah said a public inquiry would not only help identify and punish those responsible but also provide persons alleged to have been involved with an opportunity to clear their names.

He said the inquiry would also help establish why similar incidents had occurred repeatedly and provide a roadmap to prevent future occurrences.

“The public inquiry is not just to find culprits and also punish them. It’s also to give people who are perceived to be involved but are innocent the opportunity to clear their name and, more importantly, give us an idea of why some of these issues have been occurring or have been recurring over the years,” he said.

Mr Baffour Awuah further argued that the inquiry could serve as a deterrent by publicly exposing those found to have played a role in the alleged bribery scheme.

He maintained that public accountability was necessary to restore confidence in efforts to investigate the matter and prevent similar cases from recurring.

His comments follow the conviction in the United States of former Goldman Sachs employee Asante Kwaku Berko for facilitating bribe payments to Ghanaian officials between 2014 and 2016 in connection with an emergency power agreement involving the Government of Ghana and a Turkish energy company.

The NPP has subsequently called for a public inquiry into the scandal, arguing that a broader investigation is necessary to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged bribery and identify all persons who may have been involved.