High Court adjourns Solomon Asamoah and Christopher Akumfi trial awaiting Supreme Court decision

The Accra High Court has adjourned the case management conference in the US$2 million SkyTrain trial involving former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) Chief Executive Officer Solomon Asamoah and former Board Chairman Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi to October 19, 2026.

The adjournment followed a request by counsel for the first accused, Victoria Barth, for the High Court to await the outcome of an application before the Supreme Court seeking to halt further proceedings in the case. Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay granted the request after hearing submissions from the defence and prosecution.

The case management conference was originally scheduled to run from October 5 to 7, following the prosecution’s closure of its case and the High Court’s directive for the accused persons to file their witness statements by September 23.

Ms Barth told the High Court that Mr Asamoah had invoked the supervisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in relation to the ongoing trial.

She said the application seeks orders of certiorari and prohibition, including an order restraining the High Court from further hearing, continuing with or determining the case.

According to counsel, the Supreme Court had previously refused an application by Mr Asamoah for an interlocutory injunction to suspend the trial pending determination of the substantive application.

Ms Barth nevertheless told the court that her client had complied with its directive to file his witness statement on September 23.

She also said the defence filed 14 subpoenas on October 2 in respect of witnesses it intends to cross-examine, subject to the outcome of the Supreme Court proceedings.

Counsel noted that the return date for the Supreme Court application is October 13 and asked the High Court for a short adjournment to allow the apex court to hear the matter.

She argued that continuing with further stages of the trial before the Supreme Court determines the application could prejudice her client and potentially render the application moot.

Ms Barth further informed the court that two additional witnesses who are outside the jurisdiction or otherwise unavailable to the defence would require the court’s permission for their witness statements to be filed.

Counsel for the second accused, Yaw Acheampong Boafo, associated himself with the submissions made by Ms Barth and indicated that he had nothing further to add.

The prosecution, led by Sefakor Batse, told the court that the state had received the witness statement of the second accused but was yet to receive that of Mr Asamoah.

Ms Batse also said the prosecution had only recently been informed about the additional processes filed by the defence.

Although the prosecution would have preferred the case management conference to proceed as scheduled, she left the matter to the discretion of the court.

She, however, reminded the court that the filing of processes at the Supreme Court did not automatically stay proceedings before the High Court.

Mr Asamoah and Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi are standing trial over an alleged US$2 million payment made by GIIF in connection with the proposed Accra SkyTrain project, which was never constructed.

The prosecution alleges that the money was transferred from a GIIF account to Africa Investor Holdings Limited, a South African company, without the required approval of the GIIF Board.

The two accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution has since closed its case, with the accused persons now expected to open their defence.

The High Court has consequently adjourned the case management conference to October 19, 2026, when proceedings are expected to resume.