Attorney-General closes case in Skytrain trial

The Attorney-General has closed its case in the Skytrain trial involving former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund Chief Executive Officer Solomon Asamoah and the Fund’s former Board Chairman, Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi.

The two are accused of causing financial loss to the state over the alleged release of $2 million for the Skytrain project without approval from the GIIF Board.

After the prosecution closed its case, lawyers for the accused persons indicated that they would file a submission of no case.

The application, if upheld, would end the trial on the basis that the prosecution has not led sufficient evidence to require the accused persons to open their defence.

Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, who is presiding over the matter, gave the defence three weeks to file the application.

The state called three witnesses before closing its case.

They were Yaw Odame-Darkwa, a former GIIF board member; Kofi Boakye, a lawyer and Acting Board Secretary of the Fund; and Francis Aboagye, a Staff Officer at the National Intelligence Bureau who led investigations into the matter.

Their testimony focused on whether the GIIF Board approved the Skytrain transaction before the money was disbursed.

According to the prosecution, all three witnesses said the board did not approve the project.

The Attorney-General’s case is that the alleged disbursement of the $2 million without board approval caused financial loss to the state.

The case will now proceed to the no-case submission stage, where the court will decide whether Mr Asamoah and Prof Ameyaw-Ekumfi have a case to answer.