James Gyakye Quayson
In an update to the ongoing trial of Assin North Member of Parliament (MP), James Gyakye Quayson, an Accra High Court has dismissed an application to stay proceedings made by Quayson’s lawyers.
The decision was announced on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 following an earlier adjournment of the proceedings.
Report indicates that the trial will now continue, with the first witness for the prosecution set to testify.
Last week, Deputy Attorney-General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah informed Quayson’s legal team that their applications at the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal do not automatically halt the criminal trial.
Quayson’s lawyers had filed an application at the Supreme Court to prevent the High Court from proceeding with the trial until the Court of Appeal had made its determination.
However, the High Court rejected this, leading to the adjournment on Tuesday.
Following the decision, cross-examination by Quayson’s lawyers is now underway. Quayson’s legal team had argued that the trial should be halted due to alleged incomplete disclosures by the Attorney-General, citing the Republic versus Baffoe Bonney case.
The lawyers filed an application for a stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal last Wednesday, followed by another application for certiorari at the Supreme Court.
In response, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah stated that the court would not wait for the outcome of these applications, asserting that filing an application does not automatically halt proceedings.
He further highlighted the attempt to delay proceedings through the legal process, noting that while it is within Quayson’s legal rights, it does not mean the court must wait for the applications from higher courts.
The prosecution and defense both addressed the implications of the applications during the hearing on Tuesday. Tuah-Yeboah expressed confidence that the court would proceed with the trial, and the judge is expected to deliver her ruling on the matter soon. The trial will continue as scheduled, despite efforts to delay proceedings through the use of legal procedures.
By Vincent Kubi