A key prosecution witness in the ongoing Sky Train trial has produced multiple email exchanges contradicting his earlier testimony about the Accra Sky Train project’s consideration by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) Board and Investment Committee.
Yaw Odame-Darkwa, former GIIF board member and chairman of the Audit Committee, presented the emails during the fourth day of cross-examination at the High Court in Accra. This followed a court order directing him to retrieve, verify, and submit the relevant correspondence. On the previous day, Mr. Odame-Darkwa was permitted to review emails presented by counsel for the first accused, which challenged his claim that the Sky Train project was introduced only once at board level.
Upon examination, Mr. Odame-Darkwa confirmed the authenticity of at least 16 emails exchanged between July and September 2018 among board and Investment Committee members. These emails, which included attachments, agendas, and investment memoranda, were admitted into evidence without objection from the prosecution. Several referenced the Accra Sky Train project and were circulated ahead of scheduled Investment Committee meetings, alongside updates on other GIIF projects such as the Safari Hotel, Woodfields Tank Farm, and Mahama Hotel.
Among the admitted documents were minutes from the Investment Committee meeting on July 31, 2018, which recorded a presentation on the Sky Train Monorail Project. The minutes noted that members expressed support for the initiative but requested further details before making any recommendations to the GIIF Board.
During Monday’s cross-examination, Mr. 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 had not referred to Investment Committee minutes before giving statements to the National Investigations Bureau in March 2025 or before preparing his court witness statement. Nonetheless, he maintained that the Investment Committee did not formally recommend the Sky Train project to the Board, a position he said was consistent with the committee minutes submitted to the court.
The court also admitted into evidence extracts from the 2021 Auditor-General’s report on GIIF and the Fund’s 2019 audited financial statements, which confirmed Odame-Darkwa’s role as chairman of the Audit Committee, bearing the signatures of the former Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer.
The trial involves former GIIF Board Chair Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi and former CEO Solomon Asamoah, who are facing charges including causing financial loss to the state and dissipation of public funds over a US$2 million payment for the Sky Train project. Prosecutors allege the payment was made without board approval and without any work being done.
The case has been adjourned to December 16, when cross-examination is set to continue.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
