Prosecution closes case against former GIIF officials over $2 million Sky train payment
The prosecution has rested its case in the trial of two former officials of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund over the controversial Sky Train project, with the Deputy Attorney General confirming that the $2 million at the centre of the matter remains unaccounted for.
Dr Justice Srem-Sai disclosed in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the state had concluded proceedings against former GIIF Chief Executive Officer Solomon Asamoah and former Board Chairman Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi.
The two face allegations of authorising a $2 million payment to a foreign company in connection with the proposed Sky Train urban rail project without the requisite board and other approvals.
“The money cannot be found,” the Deputy Attorney General stated pointedly.
Following the close of the prosecution’s case, lawyers for the accused persons applied to the court to file a submission of no case to answer — a legal argument that the prosecution has not presented sufficient evidence to require the accused to mount a defence.
The court granted the application and directed the defence to file its submissions by June 8.
Should the court uphold the no-case submission, both accused persons could be acquitted and discharged without presenting any evidence in their defence.
If the court finds instead that the prosecution has established a prima facie case, the accused will be required to open their defence before the matter proceeds to a final determination.
The Sky Train case centres on a proposed urban rail transport project announced under the previous administration and has become one of the prominent cases arising from concerns over the management of public funds in Ghana.
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