On March 27, 2025, a High Court in Accra will decide whether James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, should provide a defense during his trial for deception of public office in getting a Ghanaian passport, among other allegations.
The Attorney General’s Office has till today to submit its written position regarding whether they have presented enough evidence to allow the MP to begin his defense.
Although the accused’s attorneys have submitted their written arguments, the prosecution did not submit their addresses by the date the court set for them and the defense.
Mr. Quayson’s attorney, Tsatsu Tsikata, told the court Wednesday that the prosecution should answer the defense’s concerns because they now have more time to file the address.
In order to render a decision on the submissions, Justice Mary Yanzuh postponed the trial to March 27, 2025.
On February 12, 2025, the prosecution concluded its case, and the court then directed both parties to submit written arguments regarding whether the prosecution had presented a case.
Mr. Quayson faces five charges: perjury, false declaration of office, deliberately producing a false statutory statement, forging a passport or travel certificate, and deception of public office.
The MP allegedly obtained a Ghanaian passport without renouncing his Canadian citizenship and made a statutory declaration on his nomination form that he owed allegiance to no country other than Ghana. These offenses are related to his actions in the lead-up to the 2020 parliamentary election.
On February 12, the prosecution brought back its fifth witness to turn in the original and complete compliments of some documents, but they were unable to do so because the Electoral Commission and the Passport Office had not yet made the documents available.
However, Tsatsu Tsikata, the accused’s attorney, briefly cross-examined him when he submitted the MP’s Parliamentary Nomination Form as evidence.
The witness maintained that the MP was a citizen of both Ghana and Canada at the time of his nomination.
“I say so because a copy his Canadian passport which came to my custody during investigation was authenticated by the Canadian High Commission in Ghana,” he continued.
Following the witness’s release, Principal State Attorney Esi Dentaa Yankah informed the court that the prosecution was wrapping up its case.
As a result, the trial judge, Justice Mary Yanzuh, ordered the prosecution and the accused to submit a no-case and a response to it at the same time within two weeks.
Source: newsthemegh.com