It has emerged that the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Solomon Asamoah, who was involved in the payment of two million dollars for the failed Accra Sky Train project, has fled the country.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, revealed at a press conference on Monday that Mr. Asamoah is currently hiding in Senegal. Dr. Ayine explained that Mr. Asamoah first traveled to South Africa on February 2, before making his way to Senegal.
“We tracked him first to South Africa, and now he is in Senegal. When we contacted him, he told us he would not return to Ghana until three months from now, and we are patiently waiting for him. If he does not return, he will be tried in absentia,” Dr. Ayine stated.
However, the Attorney-General made it clear that this will not prevent his office from prosecuting Mr. Asamoah, even if the trial proceeds in his absence.
He emphasized that Prof. Ameyaw Ekumfi, who acted with Mr. Asamoah to facilitate the payment, remains in the country, and the legal process will continue.
In discussing the $2 million payment, Dr. Ayine confirmed that it was made at the request of the GIIF Board Chairman, Prof. Ekumfi, and CEO Asamoah, without the board’s approval.
“There was no board approval for the transaction, and the conditions precedent to disbursement had not been met,” Dr. Ayine disclosed. “Our review of the board’s minutes confirmed that other board members had no knowledge of this transaction. One member even questioned why GIIF was in a hurry to make the payment, but no significant answer was given by the two individuals responsible for transferring the funds to a non-existent company in Mauritius.”
The funds were transferred to a company based in Mauritius, which has since been found to be non-existent, according to further investigations.
“We tracked the company to Mauritius, and a lawyer there has confirmed that it does not exist. But that is still a developing story,” Dr. Ayine added.
Meanwhile, Prof. Ekumfi has already been questioned by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB).
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