Court dismisses Ameyaw-Akumfi’s stay application in SkyTrain trial

The Court of Appeal has recently dismissed an application from Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, the second accused in the $2 million SkyTrain trial, seeking to pause proceedings at the Accra High Court until an appeal is resolved. On Tuesday, September 1, the appellate court's three-member panel, led by Justice Georgina Mensah-Datsa, found that Ameyaw-Akumfi, a former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), did not present sufficient grounds to warrant the stay of proceedings.

As a result, the trial at the High Court will proceed as usual. Ameyaw-Akumfi had filed the application in an attempt to halt the trial pending the outcome of an appeal against the High Court's decision dismissing his claim of no case to answer. This was the latest legal challenge by Ameyaw-Akumfi to the continuation of the trial after the prosecution had concluded its case.

The High Court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, had already dismissed his submissions of no case in July 2026 and ordered the accused to file their respective defence processes. However, failing to meet the initial deadline, the two accused parties subsequently applied to the High Court for extensions to file their witness statements, which were granted until September 23, 2026.

In dismissing Ameyaw-Akumfi's application, the Court of Appeal emphasized that he had not demonstrated any exceptional circumstances that would justify a stay of proceedings. Consequently, the trial will continue according to the normal course of proceedings, clearing a significant procedural hurdle for the ongoing SkyTrain trial.

The case involves former GIIF CEO Solomon Asamoah and Ameyaw-Akumfi, who are accused of receiving a $2 million payment from GIIF in connection with the proposed Accra SkyTrain project, which was never constructed. The prosecution alleges that the funds were transferred to Africa Investor Holdings Limited, a South African company, without the necessary approval from the GIIF Board. Both accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges.