Court of Appeal refuses Ameyaw-Akumfi’s bid to stay SkyTrain trial
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed his application for stay of proceedings on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
The SkyTrain trial at the Accra High Court will continue after the Court of Appeal rejected a fresh attempt by former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund Board Chairman, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, to stop the proceedings.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed his application for stay of proceedings on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
The panel was presided over by Justice Georgina Mensah-Datsa, with Justices Kwasi Anokye Gyimah and Franklina Gesila Adanu as members.
The court held that Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi had not shown exceptional circumstances to justify halting the trial while his appeal is pending.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi, who is the second accused in the case, had asked the Court of Appeal to stay proceedings at the High Court pending the determination of his appeal against the dismissal of his submission of no case.
The High Court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, had on July 2, 2026, dismissed the no-case submissions filed by Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi and former GIIF Chief Executive Officer, Solomon Asamoah.
The two accused persons were then ordered to open their defence.
However, after the prosecution closed its case, both accused persons filed separate applications seeking to stop the trial from proceeding.
The High Court has since given them a final extension to file their witness statements by September 23, 2026, should they decide to do so.
In its ruling, the Court of Appeal said Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi had not met the legal threshold for the grant of a stay of proceedings.
The court therefore directed that the trial should continue in the ordinary course.
The decision removes another obstacle to the continuation of the case.
It comes a day after the Supreme Court dismissed a separate interlocutory injunction application filed by Mr Asamoah to restrain the High Court from continuing with the trial.
With both applications dismissed, the accused persons are expected to comply with the High Court’s order to file their defence processes by September 23, 2026.
Mr Asamoah and Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi are standing trial over an alleged US$2 million payment made by GIIF in connection with the proposed Accra SkyTrain project.
The prosecution alleges that the money was transferred from GIIF’s account to Africa Investor Holdings Limited, a South African company, without the required approval of the GIIF Board.
The SkyTrain project was never constructed.
Both accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
