The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, has slammed the High Court for scheduling the trial of James Gyakye Quayson every day.
The Supreme Court ordered that Mr. Quayson’s perjury and forgery trial commence every day on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
The court denied Quayson’s lawyer’s request to postpone the trial until after the Assin North by-election on June 27, 2023, in which he is running.
The Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, claimed that given the charges levelled against Quayson, he might be convicted and imprisoned if found guilty, highlighting the importance of a speedy trial.
But the ruling according to John Mahama is absurd. “We need to vote for our brother who has sacrificed for the party, because of the hatred for Gyakye Quayson, they have dragged him to court again and are saying they are going to jail him. Now the court is saying he should come to court everyday, even criminals who commit crimes are not treated this way. NAM 1’s case has been in court for six years now. This case is not even heard on a daily basis. And so why Gyakye? Has he committed murder? Has he stolen someone’s money. If they like, they should get him a bed in the court, even on the day of elections, if he’s not present, he will still win”. Mr. Quayson, who was representing the Assin North constituency after the 2020 polls, was kicked out of Parliament after the Supreme Court directed Parliament to expunge his name from its record. Mr. Quayson was dragged to court for having dual citizenship.
