A former board member of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Yaw Odame Darkwah, has told an Accra High Court that the GIIF board never approved any funding for the controversial $2 million Accra Sky Train project, which failed to take off.
The case, which has drawn national attention, involves former GIIF Chief Executive Officer Solomon Asamoah and former Board Chair Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, both of whom have been charged with six counts of willfully causing financial loss to the state. They have pleaded not guilty and are currently on bail.
No Board Approval for Sky Train Project
Testifying as the first prosecution witness on Monday, November 10, Mr. Darkwah told the court that although the Sky Train project was briefly mentioned at one of the GIIF board’s meetings, no formal proposal was ever submitted for consideration or approval.
“I became aware of the payment of $2,000,000 only through the Auditor-General’s report. In accordance with proper procedure, a due diligence report should have been presented to the Board prior to any approval for disbursement,” he said.
Mr. Darkwah explained that during his tenure, all funding requests were subjected to strict due diligence and that no such report existed for the Sky Train deal.
Disputed Board Minutes
The witness further told the court that certain minutes presented as evidence suggesting that the Sky Train project was discussed and approved did not accurately reflect the Board’s actual deliberations.
“The minutes referred to as evidence do not reflect the Board’s decisions concerning the Sky Train project at any time. I have always acted in the best interest of the Republic of Ghana and would never have supported any disbursement without proper due diligence,” he emphasized.
He added that records of past GIIF project meetings would show that he consistently upheld due process and acted in good faith.
GIIF Investments During His Tenure
Mr. Darkwah also clarified that during his service on the GIIF board, the Fund invested in several approved national infrastructure projects, including:
- Terminal 3 at Kotoka International Airport
- Maaha Beach Resort
He stressed, however, that the Sky Train project was never part of any approved investment portfolio.
Case Adjourned to November 12
Following the submission of Mr. Darkwah’s witness statement, defence lawyers began cross-examining him. The court subsequently adjourned proceedings to Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
The $2 million Sky Train payment has been a subject of public concern since it was first cited in the Auditor-General’s report, which questioned the basis and authorization of the transaction. The ongoing trial is expected to shed more light on how the disbursement was made and whether due process was followed.
