Sky Train case takes new turn as Asamoah, Ameyaw-Akumfi finally file defence

The long-running US$2 million Sky Train case involving former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) Chief Executive Officer Solomon Asamoah and former GIIF Board Chairman Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi has entered a fresh phase.

The two accused persons have now filed their witness statements, paving the way for the defence stage of the trial after months of procedural twists at the Accra High Court.

According to a case update issued by Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice Justice Srem-Sai, the witness statements were filed on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, the final deadline set by the High Court for the accused persons to present their defence.

From no-case submission to defence

The development comes after the prosecution closed its case in May 2026 following the testimony of three witnesses.

The State alleges that a US$2 million payment connected to the proposed Accra Sky Train project was made by GIIF without the necessary Board approval. The project was never constructed. Both Asamoah and Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

On July 2, 2026, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay dismissed submissions of no case filed by the two accused and ordered them to open their defence. The ruling did not amount to a finding of guilt; it meant the court considered there was sufficient prosecution evidence for the accused to be called upon to answer the case.

Defence deadline extended three times

The case subsequently became embroiled in a series of procedural applications.

The accused persons were initially given 21 days to file their defence processes. When they did not do so within that period, the court granted additional time.

By August 2026, the High Court had given them another extension, with September 23, 2026 set as the deadline for filing their witness statements.

The delay also coincided with a Supreme Court challenge by Asamoah against aspects of the High Court’s ruling. His application for an interlocutory injunction was dismissed by the Supreme Court on August 31, 2026.

$2m at the centre of the case

At the heart of the prosecution’s case is the alleged payment of US$2 million in 2019 in connection with the proposed Sky Train project.

The prosecution has argued that the transaction was undertaken without the required approval from the GIIF Board. Witnesses called during the trial have also testified that the Board did not grant final approval for the investment.

With the filing of the witness statements, the case now moves firmly into the defence phase, where Asamoah and Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi will have the opportunity to respond to the allegations against them.

The latest development marks another major twist in a case that has been closely watched because of the US$2 million transaction and the abandoned Accra Sky Train project.

The accused persons remain presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.