Discontinue criminal case against Gyakye Quayson - PNC to AG

The People's National Convention (PNC) has appealed to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, to temper justice with mercy by discontinuing the criminal case against the Member of Parliament-elect (MP-elect) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson.

The party made the appeal in a statement issued and signed by the PNC General Secretary, Janet Asana Nabla, to wish the Ghanaian Muslim community a happy Eid ul- Adha celebration that took place on Wednesday.

“We are taking this opportunity to appeal to the Attorney General to temper justice with mercy by discontinuing the criminal case against Mr Quayson as we celebrate Eid,” the statement said.

Background

Mr Quayson is facing charges of forgery and perjury concerning certain alleged offences in the run-up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election.

But he was maintained by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as its parliamentary candidate for the recently held Assin North by-election on June 27, 2023 and went ahead to win the election.

Mr Quayson won with 17,245 votes, representing 57.56 per cent of the valid votes cast, with the NPP candidate, Charles Opoku, coming second with 12,630 votes, representing 42.15 per cent.

The Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) candidate Sefenu Bernice Enyonam got 87 votes, representing 0.29 per cent.

Appeal

The party, in the statement, further appealed to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, and all clerics at the regional and district levels to continue to pray for all political parties and the citizenry to champion the interest of the country at all times.

It commended the Muslim Community in Ghana for being a solid foundation of the country that has contributed immensely in the developmental pursuit of the country.

Recall

Lawyers for Mr Gyagye Quayson on June 20, 2023, filed a motion for the High Court hearing the perjury and forgery case against him to vary its decision to hear the case on a daily basis.  

However, the High Court dismissed Mr Gyagye Quayson’s motion seeking to halt the trial from continuing on daily basis until the Assin-North by-election has been conducted on Tuesday June 27, 2023.  

In its ruling on June 23, 2023, the Court presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh said its decision to continue the case on June 20, 21, and 23 on day-to-day basis was within the law.

The presiding judge added that lawyers for the accused failed to prove that the orders made contravened the law to warrant a review.

The court has adjourned the case to Tuesday, July 4, 2023 to continue hearing.