I disagree with Dormaahene on Gyakye Quayson’s trial – Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and the MP for Suame Constituency, Hon. Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has rejected calls from a section of Ghanaians to discontinue the criminal trial of embattled Assin North constituency MP-elect, James Gyakye Quayson.

The Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, has described as needless for the Attorney-General (A-G), Godfred Yeboah Dame, to continue the criminal trial of James Gyakye Quayson. He made this known at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday, July 1, 2023.

Reacting to this appeal, the legislator who doubles as the Majority Leader in Parliament told Kwame Adinkrah on Kumasi-based Pure FM on Monday, July 3, 2023, that the calls by the chief and some Ghanaians lack legal grounds as Gyakye Quayson like any person in the country is subject to the Ghanaian laws.

He expressed that we should allow the laws of the country to run its course to exonerate or implicate the MP.

“The Dormaahene is a respected chief and a distinguished judge as such so his comments are not ordinary but I must say that I disagree with him on the call to drop Quayson’s case.

“We are talking about constitutional matters here. Is it the case of the chief that he would call for same to be discontinued if it was a murder charge or any other?

“Is the respected chief saying that if someone flouts the law, we should let it go? I disagree. I think he should come out to explain further.

“He is a judge, is it his position that should the case be before him, he would have rejected or made similar utterances?” he quizzed.

“It is right for us all to allow the law to run its due process and course. We can ask the question whether the State has a case or not but beyond that, we cannot abuse the process.

“As an Appeals Court Judge, he is a potential candidate to the Supreme Court. Comments like this might haunt and affect the chances when posed to him at vetting. I disagree with him, Kwame,” he concluded.

Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah further noted that a continuous trial of Gyakye Quayson will not dwindle the image of the New Patriotic Party in the Assin North Constituency.

“I don’t agree that a continuous trial of the MP-elect for Assin North, Gyakye Quayson, will dwindle our image and chances in the constituency,” Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated on Pure FM.

Background

James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra.

He is facing charges of forgery and perjury in relation to certain alleged offences in the run up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election.

He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office.

It is the case of the prosecution that Mr Quayson allegedly made a false statement to the Passport Office that he did not hold a passport to another country when he applied for a Ghanaian Passport.

In addition, the prosecution has accused Mr Quayson of making a false declaration to the Electoral Commission (EC) to the effect that he (Quayson) did not owe any allegiance to a foreign country when he filed to contest as candidate for the Assin North seat in 2020.