Case against Quayson to be heard on daily basis
The perjury and forgery trial against James Gyakye Quayson will be heard on day-to-day basis beginning Tuesday June 20, 2023, the High Court has ruled.
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This comes after the court presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, had turned down a prayer by Quayson’s lawyer, Justin Terriwajjah which sought to have the trial continued after the Assin North by-election slated for June 27, 2023.
Arguments
Counsel argued that his client was embarking on a national duty in a bid to represent the people of Assin North in parliament, hence the need to continue the trial after the by-election for Quayson to have a leveled playing field in the campaign.
However, the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, who described the decision by Quayson to contest the by-election as a “voluntary and selfish quest” opposed to the prayer stressing that nobody had given Quayson a national assignment.
He argued that considering the charges leveled against Quayson, he could be convicted and jailed if found guilty, hence the need to trial the case expeditiously to bring clarity on Quayson’s status.
He, therefore, prayed the court to hear the case on day-to-day basis, beginning next week.
Mr Terriwajjah agreed to the trial being conducted on day-to-day basis but prayed for that to be done only after the by-election.
His prayer was dismissed subsequently by the court.
The Court has since fixed June 20, 21, and 23 for the trial to continue.
Quayson, who is facing charges of forgery and perjury in relation to certain alleged offences in the run up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election, will have his lawyers to continue the cross-examination of the first prosecution witness.
The accused, Quayson, who is contesting the by-election on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress was present in court.
State prosecutors have charged Mr Quayson on five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office.
Charges
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 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.