Gyakye Quayson’s application for stay of proceedings dismissed

Gyakye Quayson’s application for stay of proceedings dismissed

Citi NewsroombyCiti Newsroom July 11, 2023 Reading Time: 2 mins read

The Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson’s application for a stay of proceedings has been dismissed by the court.

However, lead counsel Tsatsu Tsikata has announced the intention to file an application with the Court of Appeal, seeking a stay of proceedings.

The MP is undergoing trial at the High Court in Accra on charges of forgery and perjury.

Lawyers for the embattled MP moved an application for the court to stay proceedings to allow for the Court of Appeal to hear its appeal to review a decision by the trial judge to hear the case on a daily basis.

Lead counsel for the team, Tsatsu Tsikata argued that any decision not to stay the proceedings will be prejudging the appeal. But the Prosecution led by Godfred Dame however opposed the application.

The woes of Mr Gyakye Quayson began with his declaration of intent to contest the Assin North Parliamentary elections in 2020 when a group calling itself ‘Concerned Citizens of Assin North’ petitioned the Electoral Commission in the Central Region to withdraw the candidature of Mr. Quayson, arguing that he was a Canadian citizen.
Despite the petition, Mr Quayson managed to sail through to contest representing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 parliamentary polls and got 17,498 votes representing (55.21%) while Abena Durowaa Mensah, the New Patriotic Party’s candidate had 14,193 representing (44.79%).

Following Mr. Quayson’s victory, a resident of Assin Bereku in the Central Region, filed a petition at the Cape Coast High Court seeking to annul the declaration of him as the MP of Assin North.

Three years after the court case started, the Supreme Court on May 17 concluded its proceedings on the case and directed Parliament to expunge his name from its records.

He subsequently won the seat again through a by-election.

The Court’s decision on Tuesday comes after the Minority in Parliament once again boycotted business activities in Parliament in support of the trial of James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament for Assin North.

The High Court in Accra is set to deliver a ruling on the application for a stay of proceedings in the case involving the legislator, who is facing charges of forgery and perjury.

Lawyers representing the embattled MP have submitted a request for the court to halt proceedings, allowing the Court of Appeal to review the trial judge’s decision to conduct the case on a daily basis.

In a show of solidarity, the Minority caucus has decided to forgo Parliamentary proceedings and accompany their fellow member to the court.