The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has disclosed that Solomon Asamoah, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), is currently in hiding in Senegal after his involvement in the unauthorized payment of $2 million for the failed Accra Sky Train project.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, 24th March, Dr Ayine revealed that Asamoah initially travelled to South Africa on 2nd February before relocating to Senegal. Authorities have been in contact with him, but he has refused to return to Ghana for now.
“The CEO is hiding in 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,” the Attorney-General stated.
According to Dr Ayine, the $2 million payment was requested by both Solomon Asamoah and the Chairman of the GIIF Board of Directors, Prof Ameyaw Ekumfi. However, investigations revealed that the transaction lacked the necessary board approval.
“There was no board approval for the transaction, and the conditions precedent to disbursement had not been met,” Dr Ayine emphasized.
A review of the board’s minutes confirmed that other members were unaware of the payment, with one member even questioning the urgency behind the transaction. However, no clear justification was provided by the two officials responsible.
Further investigations uncovered that the funds were transferred to a company in Mauritius, which, upon verification, was found to be non-existent.
“We tracked the company to Mauritius and a lawyer there has confirmed to us that it does not exist. But that is also a developing story,” Dr Ayine disclosed.
The Attorney-General warned that legal proceedings would move forward regardless of Asamoah’s location.
“If there is going to be a delay, we will start the prosecution with him being a suspect who is being tried in absentia,” he asserted. “Prof Ameyaw Ekumfi, who acted with him to transfer the money, is in the country, and the legal process will proceed.”
Prof Ameyaw Ekumfi has already been interrogated by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) and granted bail, as authorities intensify efforts to recover the misallocated funds and hold those involved accountable.
