The High Court in Accra has scheduled October 13, 2025, as the start date for the trial in the case involving the controversial $2 million investment in Ghana’s now-abandoned Sky Train project.
The case centers on two former top officials of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) — Prof. Ameyaw Akumfi, former Board Chairman, and Solomon Asamoah, former Chief Executive Officer — who are facing charges of causing financial loss to the state.
At a hearing on Wednesday, July 30, the court considered a motion filed by defence lawyers seeking the disclosure of key documents they argue are essential to preparing a full defence. These include minutes of board and committee meetings related to the approval process of the investment.
Counsel for the first accused, Solomon Asamoah, lawyer Victoria Barth, emphasized that the requested materials are not arbitrary but form a critical part of their legal strategy.
“These are not random requests,” Barth argued. “They are central to establishing the processes followed by the GIIF board and whether approvals were indeed given. The prosecution cannot cherry-pick minutes that serve its case while withholding others that may assist the defence.”
Her submissions were fully supported by Duke Aaron Sasu, counsel for Prof. Akumfi, who adopted the arguments in full, reiterating the need for full transparency in the proceedings.
However, Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai opposed the motion, maintaining that the prosecution does not possess the documents in question and therefore cannot be compelled to produce them.
“This is not about withholding. It is about capacity,” Dr. Srem-Sai told the court. “We cannot produce what we do not have or what never came into our possession during investigations. The law is clear—disclosure applies to what is in our control.”
The presiding judge sided with the prosecution, dismissing the defence’s application for disclosure on grounds that the requested documents had not been shown to be in the custody of the prosecution. However, the judge noted that the defence may pursue alternative legal channels to obtain the materials if needed.
With the preliminary motions settled, the court officially set October 13 as the start date for the trial, which is expected to proceed twice weekly, with each session running three hours.
The prosecution is expected to open its case with testimony from Yaw Dame Darkwa, a former GIIF board member, as its first witness.
The Sky Train project, initially proposed as a transformative solution to Accra’s urban transport woes, never materialized, despite a significant upfront investment. The trial is anticipated to shed light on the decision-making and accountability structures behind that failed initiative.
