Attorney-General Ayine Confirms He Ordered Arrest Of Former PPA Board Chairman Ameyaw-Akumfi

• The Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has said he authorised the arrest of Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi
• Ameyaw-Akumfi was questioned over payments he made as chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund
• The Attorney-General stated that Ameyaw-Akumfi admitted that $2 million was paid despite no work having been done

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has confirmed that he authorised the arrest of Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi.

Ayine told GhanaWeb that Ameyaw-Akumfi was questioned over payments made under his tenure as Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund after his arrest on February 23.

The Attorney-General also said Ameyaw-Akumfi admitted that $2 million was paid for no work done, likely on the Sky Train project.

“We are still investigating the circumstances of the payment and those who were involved."

Ameyaw-Akumfi's lawyers have maintained their client's innocence.

Former Minister for Railway Development Joe Ghartey was also invited by the National Intelligence Bureau over the Ghana Sky Train project. The project was announced in 2018 as an infrastructure plan to ease mobility in Accra.

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Under Ghartey, Ghana signed a concession agreement with Africa Investment Sky Train Consortium in 2019, with an estimated cost of $3 billion.

However, the ambitious rail project never took off, and concerns were raised about its feasibility and financing.

In 2022, the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund also disclosed that it had invested $2 million in the project.

The National Investigations Bureau made a similar arrest of the former National Service Authority (NSA) deputy Director, Kwaku Ohene Gyan over a scandal at the authority.

Probe into National Service ghost names scandal

The government also stated that 81,885 ghost names were identified in the National Service Scheme payroll after a headcount.

President John Mahama ordered the National Investigations Bureau to probe the National Service Authority under the leadership of the Nana Akufo-Addo administration following the findings.

A Fourth Estate investigation also noted thousands of ghost names under the scheme.

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Mahama gives directive to investigators

YEN.com.gh also reported that Mahama directed people on the run over the NSA ghost names scandal should be declared wanted.

The President also said their accounts and assets would be frozen pending the completion of investigations into the fraud scheme.

During his State of the Nation address, Mahama said it was believed that some of the suspects had fled the country to avoid prosecution.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh