Assin North MP must suffer fate of Adamu Sakande – Dame

The Attorney General, Mr Godfred Dame has said that the Assin North Member of Parliament James Gyekye Quayson must suffer the fate of former New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Bawku Adamu Dramani Sakande.

Mr. Adamu Sakende was sentenced for two years imprisonment after he was found guilty of false declaration of office, perjury and deceiving a public officer.

He was sentenced on three counts of perjury, false declaration and deceit of a public officer. He contested the Bawku seat even though he had not conclusively denounced his UK Citizenship.

In the case of Mr Gyekye Quayson, the Supreme Court on Wednesday April 13, 2022 ordered him to stop holding himself as a lawmaker.

Presided by Justices Jones Dotse, the Apex court ruled by a majority decision of 5-2.

Justices Agnes Dordzie and Nene Amegatcher dissented while Prof. Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkornoo, and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi voted in favour.

Speaking to the press after the court proceedings, Mr Godfred Dame said ” think that there ought to be even application of the law , there ought to be an equal application of the law, the same fate that befell Adamu Sakande who was not qualified at the time that nominations were opened and we all know what happened to him. Subsequently, they declared him ineligible and his seat was taken away so there ought to be even application of the law.”

A Cape Coast High Court, presided over by Justice Coram Kwasi Boakye, had earlier ruled that Mr Gyakye Quayson was not eligible to contest the December 7, 2020 Parliamentary Elections because he bore dual citizenship before picking nomination forms from the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC).

Fresh elections were, as a result, ordered to be conducted while Mr Gyakye Quayson was asked to cease from holding himself as MP.

But the man accused of having Canadian and Ghanaian citizenship allegedly goes to Parliament to join in proceedings.