Sky Train Scandal Deepens as Former GIIF Board Members Deny Approving $2M Disbursement
Accra, Ghana – June 5, 2025
The high-stakes prosecution over Ghana’s controversial Sky Train project has taken a dramatic turn as three former board members of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) submitted witness statements denying ever approving any funding for the now-defunct initiative.
The trial, currently ongoing at the Accra High Court, involves Solomon Asamoah, former CEO of GIIF, and Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, former Board Chairman. Both are charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state, conspiracy, and intentional dissipation of public funds, following the disbursement of $2 million in 2019 to Africa Investor Holdings Limited for work on the Sky Train project—a system that was never constructed.
Witness Testimonies Strengthen Prosecution
In what could prove pivotal to the case, Yvonne Odoley Sowah, a GIIF board member from 2017 to 2021, stated in her May 28 witness statement that no documents related to the Sky Train project were submitted to the board, and the board never approved the project or any related payments.
This was corroborated by Nana Afua Kyerewaa Ababio, another board member from 2017 to 2020, who confirmed in her May 30 statement that no request for the project was ever brought before GIIF’s Investment Committee, and no board resolution approving it was ever passed.
Cecilia Gambrah, a former board member from 2017 to 2020, also affirmed in her June 2 statement that the board “did not approve any funding” for the Sky Train project during her tenure.
All three appended legally binding statements of truth, reinforcing their testimonies.
Charges and Allegations
The Attorney-General’s Office, which formally filed charges on May 13, 2025, alleges that Asamoah and Ameyaw-Akumfi authorized the $2 million payment in violation of GIIF’s governance protocols and without board approval. The money was allegedly disbursed for preliminary work on the Sky Train system—a 200km urban rail project envisioned in 2018 with an estimated cost of $2.6 to $3.2 billion, which has yet to see any physical progress.
The state argues that the payment constituted unauthorised use of public funds, and both accused are being held accountable under the Criminal Offences Act and the Public Property Protection Decree.
Broader Implications
The unfolding case is part of a broader crackdown on financial misconduct by state agencies, following earlier warnings of impending charges related to national service ghost names and the Sky Train scandal.
GIIF, established in 2014 to mobilise funding for national infrastructure projects, is now under scrutiny over possible governance lapses and procedural breaches. The testimonies of its former board members could prove decisive in unraveling how a project with such high aspirations became mired in controversy.
What’s Next?
As the trial progresses, more revelations are expected regarding the decision-making processes and financial disbursements within GIIF. The public remains keenly interested in the outcome, as the case symbolises broader issues of accountability, transparency, and fiscal discipline in Ghana’s public institutions.
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