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Former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, has pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him in the ongoing trial related to the $2 million Sky Train scandal.
Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi is facing four charges, including wilfully causing financial loss to the state, in connection with the payment of $2 million in 2019 as a premium for acquiring ordinary shares in the proposed, but ultimately unrealised, Sky Train Project.
At a court hearing on Monday, 26 May, counsel for Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi submitted a bail application, arguing that his client does not pose a flight risk and suffers from significant health challenges that require ongoing medical care.
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The lawyer informed the court that Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi had recently undergone hip surgery, which has impaired his mobility, a condition that was “clearly evident” in court and supported by medical documentation already submitted to the prosecution.
In a further effort to demonstrate his client’s willingness to comply with court directives, the lawyer disclosed that Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi had voluntarily brought his passport to court and was prepared to surrender it as a condition for bail.
Background
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On 13 May 2025, the Office of the Attorney General filed charges against Solomon Asamoah and Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi in relation to the Sky Train scandal.
The charges include:
Count 1: Conspiracy to commit a crime, to wit, wilfully causing financial loss to the Republic
Count 2: Wilfully causing financial loss to the state
Count 4: Conspiracy to commit a crime, to wit, intentional dissipation of public funds
Count 6: Intentional dissipation of public funds
The Sky Train project was proposed as an elevated, air-propelled light rail system, utilising steel wheels and rails on a raised track to reduce drag and maximise energy efficiency.
In November 2018, the government signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with the South African-based Africa Investment (Ai) SkyTrain Consortium for the construction of the Accra Sky Train Project.
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The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, by then Railways Development Minister, Joe Ghartey.
However, the Auditor-General’s report on Ghana’s public boards, corporations, and statutory institutions for the year ending 31 December 2021 revealed that $2 million had been paid in 2019 as a premium to acquire shares for the project, yet the initiative never materialised.