The Court of Appeal has dismissed an application by former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi, seeking to stay proceedings in the ongoing SkyTrain trial at the High Court.

Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi, the second accused in the case, had asked the appellate court to suspend the trial pending the determination of his appeal against the High Court’s decision dismissing his submission of no case.

He argued that the High Court proceedings should be halted while the Court of Appeal considered his challenge to the trial court’s ruling.

However, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Georgina Mensah-Datsa, dismissed the application after finding that Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi had failed to demonstrate exceptional circumstances warranting a stay of proceedings.

The panel, which also comprised Justice Kwasi Anokye Gyimah and Justice Franklina Gesila Adanu, consequently directed that the trial should proceed in the ordinary course.

The ruling comes a day after the Supreme Court dismissed a similar application by the first accused, former GIIF Chief Executive Officer Solomon Asamoah, who was seeking to halt the proceedings pending the determination of his own legal challenge.

Read Also: Supreme Court dismisses Solomon Asamoah’s bid to halt SkyTrain trial

Mr Asamoah had applied for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the High Court from continuing with the trial pending the determination of his application for certiorari, which seeks to quash the High Court’s decision dismissing his submission of no case.

The Supreme Court, sitting as a single-Judge court on Monday, August 31, dismissed the injunction application.

With the two applications for interim relief now dismissed, the High Court is expected to proceed with the trial, subject to any further applications or orders arising from the accused persons’ substantive appeals.

Defence deadline

The High Court has set September 23, 2026, as the final extended deadline for the accused persons to file their defences, should they choose to do so.

The deadline follows the conclusion of the prosecution’s case and the subsequent dismissal of the accused persons’ submissions of no case.

SkyTrain trial

Mr Asamoah and Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi are standing trial over allegations that $2 million was paid towards the SkyTrain project without the approval of the GIIF Board.

Mr Asamoah is a former Chief Executive Officer of GIIF, while Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi is a former Board Chairman of the Fund.

The prosecution has alleged that the payment was made in connection with the proposed SkyTrain project without the requisite approval of the GIIF Board.

Both accused persons have challenged the High Court’s decision on their submissions of no case, with the latest ruling clearing the way for the trial to continue while their respective legal challenges are pursued.