An Accra High Court Tuesday adjourned the case involving Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi, the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund, and one other to Monday May 26, 2025.
The adjournment was due to the absence of the former Board Chairman in court over ill health, whose plea needed to be taken.
When the case was called on Tuesday, May 20, Mr Duke Aaron Sasu, Counsel for Ameyaw-Ekumfi, told the court that his client was rushed to the University of Ghana Medical Centre at dawn, hence his inability to appear in court.
At the last sitting, the court was informed that the accused person had undergone surgery.
Meanwhile, information gathered indicates that Solomon Asamoah, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Fund, standing trial with Ameyaw-Ekumfi, could not meet his bail terms.
He was granted a GH¢15 million bail with two sureties, all to be justified with a registered land or property located in the Greater Accra Region.
The sureties were to deposit copies of their Ghana cards and digital addresses at the Registry of the Court.
He is to deposit his two passports (Ghana & United Kingdom) at the Registry and report to the Police every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday till the determination of the case.
The two have been charged for willfully causing financial loss to the State, intentional dissipation of public funds, and conspiracy to commit crime.
The charges were filed under Section 23(1) and Section 179A(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), relating to a $2-million-dollar payment made in 2019 to the Bank Account of the Africa Investor Holdings Limited in Mauritius.
The amount was for the feasibility studies for the development of an urban sky train system in Accra, a project that was never started.
The State said the payment was made in February 2019 without the necessary board approval for either the share acquisition or the disbursement of the funds.
It said investigations had revealed that the decision to release the funds was made without due process.
Ameyaw-Akumfi reportedly told investigators during his caution statement that he authorised the transfer based on a recommendation from the former Chief Executive Officer.
However, the accused persons have not been able to account for the missing two million dollars.
The Accra SkyTrain project was a proposed elevated light rail system aimed at reducing traffic congestion and air pollution in Accra, Ghana’s capital.
In 2018 the Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AiSky Train Consortium of South Africa.
Following the completion of a feasibility study, in November 2019 the parties signed a build–operate–transfer concession agreement.
The company was to develop the system at an estimated cost of $2.6 billion with capacity of 10,000 passengers/hour/direction.
It had a scope of 194 km, 5 lines (4 radial, 1 loop) with Aeromovel (fully automated, elevated) but it had some significant hurdles, though specific details are not provided.
Source: GNA