A former board member of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Yaw Odame Darkwah, has told an Accra High Court that the board never approved any funding for the controversial $2 million Accra Sky Train project, which never took off.
The case involves the former Chief Executive Officer of GIIF, Solomon Asamoah, and its former Board Chair, Prof Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, who have both been charged with six counts of willfully causing financial loss to the state. They have pleaded not guilty and are currently on bail.
Appearing as the first prosecution witness on Monday, November 10, Mr Darkwah testified that although the Sky Train project was mentioned at one of the board’s meetings, no proposal was ever submitted, and therefore, the project was never deliberated on or approved.
“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.”
“I have recently been made aware of certain minutes from the GIIF Board meetings referencing the Sky Train project. The minutes referred to as evidence of the meeting do not accurately reflect the Board’s deliberations or decisions concerning the Sky Train project at any time.
Mr Darkwah said that he had always acted in the best interest of the Republic of Ghana and would never have supported any financial disbursement without proper due diligence.
I have always acted in the best interest of the Republic of Ghana and would not have granted approval for any disbursement without proper due diligence. The minutes of previous GIIF project meetings in which I participated will demonstrate that I consistently acted in good faith, in accordance with due process, and in the national interest.”
He also told the court that during his tenure on the GIIF board, the fund invested in several major national projects, including Terminal 3 at Kotoka International Airport and the Maaha Beach Resort, but the Sky Train project was never part of those approved investments.
After his witness statement was tendered in evidence, the defence lawyers began cross-examining him. The court adjourned the case to Wednesday, November 12.