James Gyakye Quayson
An Accra High Court will on June 1, 2022, set a date for the commencement of the trial of suspended Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, who is before it over charges of deceit, perjury and others.
The court will on that day consider an application filed by Tsatsu Tsikata, counsel for the embattled MP, which is seeking the court to strike out three out of the five charges levelled against him.
The prosecution is set to call its first witness on the yet to be decided date and has complied with the court’s orders by filing witness statements for all the witness they intend to rely on.
The court, presided over by Justice Mary Nsenkyire, yesterday refused to stay the proceedings after Mr. Tsikata had informed it that they had filed a repeat motion for stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal, which has been scheduled for May 26, 2022.
The court at the last sitting dismissed an application for stay of proceedings pending the determination of an appeal against the court’s decision not to refer Article 94(2a) to the Supreme Court for interpretation, leading to the lawyer going to the Court of Appeal.
Mr. Tsikata, also indicated that they have filed another motion on notice asking the court to strike out three of the charges against the accused person.
Selase Kuwornu, an Assistant State Attorney informed the court that the prosecution has not been served with neither of the applications filed.
The court said the mere filing of a stay of proceedings at the Appellate Court did not automatically stay the proceedings hence, its decision to go ahead with the case management as planned.
Justice Nsenkyire, after the case management, adjourned the case to June 1, 2022, to set a date for the commencement of the trial.
Mr. Quayson has been charged, among others, for deceiving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by making a false statement that he did not have dual citizenship in order to acquire a Ghanaian passport.
He has also been charged with perjury for making a false statement at Assin Fosu, that he does not owe allegiance to any country other than Ghana, a statement he did not have a reason to believe to be true at the time of making it.
Again, the MP has been charged for making a false declaration for office when he knowingly said he does not owe allegiance to any country other than Ghana for the purpose of obtaining a public office as a Member of Parliament, a statement he knew to be material for obtaining that office.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak