Lawyers of former board chair of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund, Prof Ameyaw Akumfi have told the Accra High Court that the second accused person was rushed to the emergency ward on Tuesday morning.
Lead counsel for the former GIIF board chair, Duke Aaron Sasu was responding to a query by Justice Comfort Tasiame regarding the absence Prof Akumfi whose plea was scheduled to be taken today.
He pleaded for a brief adjournment from the court and the prosecution so they will produce the former board chair by Friday for his plea to be taken.
The presiding judge who appeared surprised at the development noted that it appeared Prof Ameyaw Akumfi is always ill on the day of the hearing of his case.
Deputy Attorney -General Dr Justice Srem-Sai agreed with the observation by the judge.
“My lady was true to the record when she said that it appears the second accused is always rushed to the hospital on the morning of the proceedings.
We don’t want to impute anything except to say thay Friday isn’t far,” he noted.
Justice Tasiame then adjourned the case to Monday, May 26 for the plea of the second accused to be taken.
Meanwhile, the former GIIF CEO, Solomon Asamoah who is on a GHc15 million bail was accompanied to the court by a Police officer.
Checks by TV3’s Laud Adu-Asare indicate that Mr Asamoah remains in custody due to his inability to meet the bail conditions.
His lawyers however maintained that the conditions will be met by close of Tuesday to ensure his release.
Prof Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi and the former CEO of Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund, Solomon Asamoah have each been charged with three offences, including one count of conspiracy to commit crime, causing financial loss to the state and intentional dissipation of public fund in relation to the $2m Accra Sky Train project which was never materialised.
Background
Per the Prosecution’s brief facts in 2018, the erstwhile Ministry of Railways Development initiated a programme to promote and facilitate commercially viable mass urban transport infrastructure projects in the country.
The said programme was to be implemented by means of allocating concessionary rights to private sector investors to develop and operate urban transport services.
Consequently, in November 2018, the Ministry of Railways Development signed a memorandum of understanding with Africa Investor Holding Limited and GIIF to build an urban rail transportation system in Accra, which was to be styled ‘Accra Skytrain.’
The prosecution also noted that the Accra Skytrain project was to be constructed on a Design, Build, Finance, and Operate basis.
“In the memorandum of understanding, GIIF was to be the anchor equity investor and local project development partner to the Africa Investor Holdings (Proprietary) Limited. It was further agreed in the memorandum of understanding that GIIF would conduct due diligence and develop a bankable feasibility study on the project,” the facts added.
A shareholder agreement was subsequently signed on January 9, 2019 between GIIF and Africa Investor Holdings Limited where the latter was to transfer 10% of its alleged 100% shares in a company styled as ‘Ai Skytrain Consortium Holdings,’ a limited liability company registered in Mauritius.
Upon their arrest, Solomon Asamoah is said to have indicated in his cautioned statement that he obtained approval of GIIF board in respect of the payment, while Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi told investigators he signed the funds transfer on the recommendation of Mr. Asamoah.
The fact added that neither of the accused persons have been able to account for the $2 million.