By Philip Antoh
The High Court handling the case of former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) Board Chairman, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, has warned that the trial will continue without him if he does not show up with a lawyer by Wednesday.
Presiding judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay, gave this warning after Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi came to court without legal representation on Monday. His new attorney, Yaw Boafo, reportedly could not be present because he had not finished his registration to represent the defendant.
The Chief State Attorney, Sefakor Batse, expressed her annoyance at the delay, mentioning that the prosecution’s first witness was prepared to testify.
The case involves Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi, the former GIIF Board Chairman, and Solomon Asamoah, the fund’s former Chief Executive Officer. Both have been charged with causing financial loss to the state due to their alleged involvement in the allocation of funds for the Sky Train project.
At the last hearing, defense lawyers submitted a motion to compel the prosecution to reveal documents they considered vital for their clients’ defense.
Victoria Barth, representing the first accused, argued that the documents—including minutes from board and committee meetings—held key information necessary to prove that the investment was properly authorized.
Duke Aaron Sasu, representing Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi, fully supported Barth’s arguments, demanding complete disclosure from the prosecution.
However, Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai opposed the motion, claiming that the requested documents were not available to the prosecution or investigators.
Justice Kocuvi-Tay rejected the defense’s request, ruling that it had not been established that the materials were in the prosecution’s possession. She noted that the defence could seek other legal methods to obtain the documents if needed.