Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi’s lawyer withdraws from ongoing GIIF sky train case
By DL News
Published
2 min read
Presiding Judge Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay confirmed receipt of a Notice of Withdrawal filed on September 11, 2025, signaling that Mr. Sasu would no longer act as counsel for the embattled former board chairman.
Legal proceedings in the case involving Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), took a new twist on Monday after his lawyer, Duke Aaron Sasu, formally notified the Accra High Court of his intention to withdraw his representation.
Presiding Judge Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay confirmed receipt of a Notice of Withdrawal filed on September 11, 2025, signaling that Mr. Sasu would no longer act as counsel for the embattled former board chairman.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi and Solomon Asamoah, former CEO of GIIF, are facing charges of willfully causing financial loss to the state, intentional dissipation of public funds, and conspiracy to commit crime.
The case stems from an alleged $2 million financial loss linked to the Accra SkyTrain Project, a proposed urban light rail initiative intended to ease congestion and improve air quality in the capital.
Both accused persons have been granted bail — Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi on GH¢10 million with two sureties (one to be justified with landed property in Greater Accra) and Asamoah on GH¢15 million, with all sureties backed by registered properties in the same region.
Addressing the court, Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi acknowledged the withdrawal, explaining that there had been a misunderstanding between him and his lawyer.
The development briefly stalled proceedings, though the presiding judge assured that the case would proceed as scheduled once the matter of legal representation was resolved.
Meanwhile, co-accused Solomon Asamoah has filed an appeal challenging the court’s earlier decision to dismiss his application for further disclosures.
However, Deputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai informed the court that the Attorney General’s Department had not yet been served with the appeal documents.
As a result, the matter was adjourned to October 20, 2025, to allow both parties time to regularize their filings.
The Accra SkyTrain Project, launched in 2018, was envisioned as a $2.6 billion elevated light rail system designed to transport up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
The initiative was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Ghana and AiSky Train Consortium of South Africa, with a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) concession agreement signed in November 2019 following a completed feasibility study.
Despite its ambitious design, the project became the subject of public scrutiny after concerns emerged about the financial viability and due diligence behind the funding arrangements — issues now central to the ongoing prosecution.
The court is expected to revisit the matter later this month as investigations and legal arguments continue into one of Ghana’s most controversial infrastructure-related financial cases.
