The High Court in Accra has ordered former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) officials Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi and Solomon Asamoah to open their defence in the ongoing $2 million Sky Train trial.
The ruling follows the court’s dismissal of a submission of no case filed by the two accused persons, who had argued that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence linking them to wilfully causing financial loss to the state.
The case, widely known as the Sky Train scandal, relates to an alleged $2 million payment made by GIIF in 2019 towards a proposed urban rail project in Accra that was never executed.
Prosecutors maintain that the funds were disbursed without proper board approval and governance procedures, resulting in financial loss to the state.
However, defence lawyers have argued that the project’s failure was influenced by external factors, including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and insist that proper processes were followed.
The court’s latest directive means the two former officials will now be required to present their defence and explain why they should not be convicted of causing financial loss to the state.
The trial continues as the High Court examines evidence surrounding the controversial investment and its collapse.