Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi
A High Court in Accra has given former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, up to Wednesday, October 29, 2025 to show up in court with a lawyer else it will proceed with the Skytrain trial.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi and Solomon Asamoah, the erstwhile Chief Executive of the Fund, are on trial for their alleged involvement in the dissipation of state funds in the non-existent $2 million Accra Skytrain project.
He appears to be having issues with finding a new lawyer ever since he had a fall out with his previous counsel, Duke Aaron Sasu, since telling the court on October 13 that “the misunderstanding between me and my lawyer is being mediated.”
He appeared before the court yesterday again without legal representation, and the judge was compelled to issue the stern warning to proceed regardless of whether he finds a lawyer or not.
At the last proceeding before yesterday, the court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, dismissed an application filed by Solomon Asamoah seeking to halt his trial in the $2 million non-existent Skytrain scandal, pending appeal.
His lawyer, Victoria Barth had moved a motion urging the court to pause the trial to enable her pursue an appeal against the court’s decision to dismiss an earlier application by the accused, asking the prosecution to provide him with more disclosure documents.
The application was opposed by Sefakor Batse, a Chief State Attorney who argued that it had no merit.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay, in a ruling, dismissed the application, holding that he did not demonstrate any exceptional circumstances to warrant the court to grant the application.
Trial
The brief facts indicate that the Accra Skytrain project was to be constructed on a Design, Build Finance, and Operate basis.
“In the memorandum of understanding, GIIF was to be the anchor equity investor and local project development partner to the Africa Investor Holdings (Proprietary) Limited. It was further agreed in the memorandum of understanding that GIIF would conduct due diligence and develop a bankable feasibility study on the project,” the facts added.
A shareholder agreement was subsequently signed on January 9, 2019 between GIIF and Africa Investor Holdings Limited where the latter was to transfer 10% of its alleged 100% shares in a company styled as ‘Ai Skytrain Consortium Holdings,’ a limited liability company registered in Mauritius.
Upon their arrest, Solomon Asamoah is said to have indicated in his cautioned statement that he obtained approval of GIIF board in respect of the payment, while Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi told investigators he signed the funds transfer on the recommendation of Mr. Asamoah.
The facts added that neither of the accused persons have been able to account for the $2 million.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak