By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame has made his intention known to the public when he granted an interview to the media insisting that the embattled Member of Parliament Assin North Constituency in the Central Region, Mr. James Gyekye Quayson should be jailed the same way like the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Bawku Central, Mr. Adamu Dramani Sakende
The late Adamu Sakende was sentenced to two years imprisonment after he was found guilty of false declaration of office, perjury, and deceiving a Public Officer.
The former New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Bawku Central, got sentenced on three counts of perjury, false declaration, and deceit of a Public Officer.
He contested the Bawku Central, seat even though he had not conclusively denounced his UK Citizenship.
In the case of Mr. Gyekye Quayson, the Supreme Court today, Wednesday, April 13, 2022, ordered him to stop holding himself as a lawmaker after a resident of Assin Bereku in the Central Region, Michael Ankomah-Nimfa, petitioned the courts challenging the eligibility of Mr. Quayson as the MP for Assin North following allegations that he held dual
Mr. Ankomah-Nimfa had earlier secured a judgment at the Cape Coast High Court overturning the election of Mr. Quayson as null and void but the embattled legislator ran to the Court of Appeal to have the decision set aside.
Speaking to Journalists after the Court proceedings, Mr. Godfred Dame said, ”I 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 holding himself as MP.
But the man accused of having Canadian and Ghanaian citizenship allegedly goes to Parliament to join in proceedings.
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.
