SkyTrain trial: High Court adjourns case management conference to October 19

The Accra High Court has adjourned the case management conference (CMC) in the US$2 million SkyTrain trial to October 19, 2026, following a request by counsel for the first accused, Solomon Asamoah, for the court to await the outcome of an application before the Supreme Court.

Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay announced the adjournment on Monday, October 5, after hearing arguments from lawyers for the two accused persons and the prosecution.

The CMC had been scheduled to take place from October 5 to 7, following the prosecution’s closure of its case and ahead of the accused persons opening their defence.

Mr Asamoah and Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi are facing charges over an alleged US$2 million payment made by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) in relation to the proposed Accra SkyTrain project, which was never constructed.

The prosecution alleges that the money was transferred from a GIIF account to South African company Africa Investor Holdings Limited without the required approval of the GIIF Board.

Both accused persons have pleaded not guilty.

Asamoah asks court to await Supreme Court application

At Monday’s sitting, counsel for Mr Asamoah, Victoria Barth, informed the court that her client had invoked the supervisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in connection with the trial.

She said the application sought orders of certiorari and prohibition, including an order preventing the High Court from further hearing, continuing with or determining the case.

Ms Barth told the court that the application was scheduled for a return hearing on October 13, 2026, and argued that proceeding with the CMC before that date could affect the matter pending before the Supreme Court.

She acknowledged that the Supreme Court had declined Mr Asamoah’s application for an interlocutory injunction to stop the trial, but said her client had nevertheless demonstrated good faith by filing his witness statement on September 23, 2026.

She added that 14 subpoenas had subsequently been filed on October 2 for persons Mr Asamoah intended to cross-examine in his defence, subject to the outcome of the Supreme Court proceedings.

“We are praying the court to take into consideration the fact that the return date for the prohibition application is Tuesday, October 13, and therefore to kindly indulge us a short adjournment for the Supreme Court to hear us,” she said.

Ms Barth also informed the court that two persons outside the jurisdiction or currently unavailable to the defence were expected to provide witness statements, subject to the court granting the necessary leave.

Counsel for Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi, Yaw Acheampong Boafo, supported the application for an adjournment.

“We have nothing more to add,” he said.

Prosecution leaves decision to court

For the prosecution, Sefakor Batse told the court that the state had received the witness statement of the second accused but had yet to receive that of Mr Asamoah.

She also said the prosecution had only just been informed about the additional processes filed by the first accused in connection with the Supreme Court application.

Ms Batse said the prosecution would have preferred the CMC to proceed as scheduled but would leave the matter to the discretion of the court.

She nevertheless reminded the court that, at the previous sitting, it had been indicated that the filing of processes before the Supreme Court did not, by itself, automatically stay proceedings before the High Court.

The court subsequently adjourned the CMC to October 19, 2026.