By: Barbara Kumah
Defense lawyers in the Skytrain case involving Former chairperson of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi and former CEO of GIIF, Solomon Asamoah, have prayed the trial court to vary the bail terms of their clients to report to the police while investigations into matter continues.
In response to their request, Justice Comfort Tasiame has asked the lawyers to file their request for the Attorney General to respond. Prof Ameyaw Akumfi, and Solomon Asamoah were formally charged, on Thursday May 13, for allegedly causing financial loss to the state in the two million dollar “Sky Train” project.
The first accused, Solomon Asamoah has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has been granted bail in the sum of fifteen million Ghana cedi, with two sureties to be justified and also report to the case investigator, three times a week.
On his part, Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi, was granted bail after pleading not guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit crime, willfully causing financial loss to the Republic, and Intentional dissipation of public funds.
He was also ordered to hand his traveling document, that is his passport to the court’s registry and also report to the case investigator, once a week. The defense lawyers, however, made orally applications to the court on Tuesday morning, to vary the condition of reporting to the case investigator.
Prof Christopher Ameyaw Ekumfi, the former board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) and former C.E.O Solomon Asamoah for allegedly causing a 2 million cedis financial loss to the state in the sky train project. It is the case of the Prosecution that in February 2019, the accused authorized a $2 million payment from GIIF to Africa Investor Holdings Limited for preliminary work on the Sky Train project – a system that was not built.
The payment was reportedly made without proper board approval.Meanwhile the defense lawyers have asked for more time to extensively examine futher documents filed by the Prosecution.
The Prosecutioned led by Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem Sai informed the court that they had filed futher documents which was served on the defense counsel. The case is adjourned to June 24 for case management conference.
