Skytrain case: Supreme Court rejects Solomon Asamoah’s bid to halt trial

The Supreme Court has dismissed an application for an interlocutory injunction filed by the first accused in the Skytrain trial, former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) Chief Executive Officer, Solomon Asamoah.

He had filed a certiorari application seeking to quash the decision of the High Court, which rejected his submission of no case after the prosecution had closed its case.

Solomon Asamoah subsequently applied for an injunction to restrain the High Court from continuing with the trial pending the determination of the certiorari application.

Justice Senyo Dzamefe, sitting as a single Justice of the Supreme Court, dismissed the injunction application on Monday, August 31, after hearing arguments from the parties last Friday.

In his ruling, Justice Dzamefe held that, based on the applicant’s own affidavit, he had not disclosed a serious case to be tried, noting that the matters raised were issues for appeal.

The court also held that the trial judge’s decision to rule on the submission of no case was not in excess of jurisdiction.

It further found that the applicant had not established the irreparable harm that would result if the injunction were not granted.

The High Court has set September 23 for the accused persons to file their defence, should they choose to do so.


Meanwhile, the second accused person, former Board Chairman of GIIF, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, has filed another application for a stay of proceedings. The application is scheduled to be heard by the Court of Appeal on September 1.

Solomon Asamoah and Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi are standing trial over allegations that $2 million was paid for the Skytrain project without approval from the GIIF board.