$2 Million Sky Train Trial: Accused asks court to summon Joe Ghartey, 14 others

The first accused person in the $2 million Accra Sky Train trial has asked the court to compel 15 individuals, including former Railway Development Minister Joe Ghartey, to appear and testify in his defence.

The request comes after the accused persons indicated that they had no witnesses to call in the ongoing trial involving former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Solomon Asamoah, and former Board Chairman, Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi.

Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, disclosed this in a social media post detailing the latest developments in the case, officially known as "The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi".

According to him, the first accused person wants the court to order the 15 individuals to appear and testify on his behalf.

The list includes Joe Ghartey, who served as Minister for Railway Development, and several former and current officials of the GIIF.

Others are Harriet Abban, Company Secretary of GIIF; Benjamin Narteh Abrakwa, a former Senior Finance Officer of the fund; George Arhin, Country Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers; and Andrews Agyenim Boateng, a former GIIF director.

Also listed are Nana Dwemoh Benneh, Chief Executive Officer of GIIF; Tweneboa Kodua Fokuo, a former director; Cecelia Gambrah, a former director; and Emmanuel Offei, Managing Partner of Boateng, Offei & Co.

The remaining individuals are Reginald Okai, Chief Finance Officer of GIIF; Daniel Kwadwo Owusu, Managing Partner of Deloitte Ghana; Kwasi Tumi, Managing Partner of CFL Global Partners; Dr Pamela Graham, the Auditor-General; and former GIIF directors Yvonne Odoley Sowah and Nana Afua Kyerewaa Ababio.

The development marks a new stage in the trial as the defence seeks to have the individuals appear before the court to provide testimony.

The case centres on the controversial Accra Sky Train project, for which $2 million was reportedly invested by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) in a proposed urban rail transport system that was never implemented.

The two are facing trial over the alleged loss of US$2 million in public funds in connection with the proposed Accra Sky Train project, which was intended to introduce an urban rail transport system in the capital but was never implemented.

The prosecution alleges that Solomon Asamoah, the former GIIF Chief Executive Officer, and Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, the fund's former Board Chairman, conspired to cause financial loss of US$2 million to the state by facilitating the payment without the necessary approval of the GIIF Board.

BAI