The trial of the former Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) has been adjourned to January 14, next year, by the Criminal Division Four of the High Court in Accra.
The adjournment, granted by the court presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, followed a request after the first prosecution witness, Mr Yaw Odame-Darkwa, was reported to be indisposed.
Mr Odame-Darkwa, a former board member of GIIF, is testifying in the ongoing US$2 million Accra Sky Train Project case.
Mr Odame-Darkwa, who is appearing as Prosecution Witness One (PW1), has already given his evidence-in-chief and is currently under cross-examination by Mrs Victoria Barth, defence counsel for the former Chief Executive Officer of GIIF, Mr Solomon Asamoah.
In his testimony, PW1 told the court that the Accra Sky Train Project did not receive express approval from the GIIF Board.
He explained that while the Sky Train concept was introduced at one of the Board meetings, no substantive proposal was ever presented for detailed deliberation or formal decision-making.
He further stated that the Investment Committee of GIIF – the body mandated to evaluate projects and make recommendations to the Board — did not recommend the Sky Train initiative for approval, funding, or endorsement.
Mr Odame-Darkwa also emphasised that during his tenure on the Board, no funds were approved or committed by GIIF towards the Sky Train Project, contrary to public speculation that the Fund had financed the initiative.
However, during Monday’s proceedings, defence counsel Mrs Barth sought to demonstrate that the Board had indeed discussed the project. She referred the court to Board minutes, which captured a presentation made by the former CEO on the Sky Train concept.
The defence also tendered copies of email correspondence exchanged among Board members on the subject matter to support its position that the project had been discussed at Board level.
Mr Solomon Asamoah, former Chief Executive Officer of GIIF, and the former Board Chairman are facing six counts, including conspiracy, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, and intentional dissipation of public funds.
Both accused persons have pleaded not guilty to all the charges and are standing trial before the High Court.
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