A prosecution witness in the ongoing Sky Train trial has confirmed the existence of several internal emails from the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) that repeatedly referenced the Accra Sky Train project, contradicting earlier claims that the project was mentioned only once at board level.
The witness, Yaw Odame-Darkwa, a former member of the GIIF Board and chairman of its Audit Committee, presented the emails during the fourth day of cross-examination at the High Court in Accra. The documents were produced following a court order directing him to retrieve, verify and submit the correspondence for examination.
During earlier testimony, Odame-Darkwa had maintained that the Sky Train project was introduced only once to the board. However, after reviewing the emails presented by lawyers for the first accused person, he confirmed the authenticity of at least 16 emails exchanged between July and September 2018 among members of the Board and the Investment Committee. The emails were admitted into evidence without objection from the prosecution.
The correspondence, which included meeting agendas, attachments and investment memoranda, showed that the Sky Train project was mentioned alongside other GIIF initiatives such as the Safari Hotel, Woodfields Tank Farm and the Mahama Hotel. Several of the emails were circulated ahead of scheduled Investment Committee meetings.
Among the documents tendered were minutes from an Investment Committee meeting held on July 31, 2018. The minutes recorded that a presentation was made on the Accra Sky Train Monorail Project and that committee members expressed support for the concept, while requesting additional details before making any recommendation to the board.
Under cross-examination, Odame-Darkwa admitted he could not confirm whether a subsequent Investment Committee meeting scheduled for September 28, 2018, actually took place. He also acknowledged that he did not refresh his memory with the committee’s minutes before giving statements to investigators at the National Investigations Bureau in March 2025 or before submitting his witness statement to the court.
Despite these admissions, the witness maintained that the Investment Committee never formally recommended the Sky Train project to the GIIF Board, insisting that his position was consistent with the official minutes presented in court.
The court also admitted extracts from the 2021 Auditor-General’s report on GIIF and the Fund’s 2019 audited financial statements. These documents confirmed Odame-Darkwa’s role as chairman of the Audit Committee at the time and bore the signatures of the former Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer.
The trial involves former GIIF Board Chair Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi and former Chief Executive Officer Solomon Asamoah. They are facing charges including causing financial loss to the state and dissipation of public funds over a US$2 million payment made in connection with the Sky Train project. Prosecutors allege the payment was made without board approval and without any work being carried out.
Proceedings have been adjourned to December 16, when cross-examination is expected to continue
