Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, has refuted accusations that the government is aiming to block National Democratic Congress parliamentary candidate James Gyakye Quayson from running in the Assin North by-election on June 27.
Speaking after Mr. Quayson’s application for the High Court to vary its order to hear his case on a daily basis was adjourned to Wednesday, June 21, Mr. Tuah-Yeboah said the allegations are far-fetched in the sense that the court has the right to hear pending cases because Mr. Qyason has the right to contest in the poll.
“It’s not about his not being able to run in the elections.” He has the right to appeal, and the state has the right to hear cases as well.
Mr. Atuah-Yeboah also defended the court’s daily hearing of the case against Quayson. Lawyers for Quayson are seeking to prevent the case from being heard every day which they believe will affect the campaign of the accused who is the NDC’s parliamentary candidate in the Assin North by-election. Many have criticized the government for attempting to stop the former MP from contesting the seat he once won in the 2020 election. The NDC through its Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mustapha Gbande accused the government of trying to influence the court in the criminal case against the MP hopeful who is seeking election in the by-election. Mr. Quayson is facing charges of perjury and forgery after he contested the Assin North parliamentary election in 2020 despite holding dual citizenship. The Supreme Court last month ordered Parliament to expunge his name from its records making way for a by-election to be held. The NDC subsequently fielded Mr. Quayson to be its candidate for the by-election despite the criminal charges against him.
