The trial involving Mr. James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament for Assin North, took an intriguing turn with the first prosecution witness, Mr. Richard Takyi-Mensah, shedding light on the Electoral Commission’s role in the disputed election. According to Takyi-Mensah, the Electoral Commission had cleared the accused to stand for the election after inviting both the complainant and the accused to a meeting. The decision was reportedly based on the information provided by Mr. Quayson during the meeting.
During cross-examination by Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, the defense counsel, Takyi-Mensah revealed that he had read the report on the internet and had access to some of the filed documents in the civil case. However, a dispute arose when Tsikata suggested that the witness’s statement was given in Twi and later translated to English, which the witness refuted, claiming to have narrated everything to the police in English language, although he acknowledged that there might have been inadvertent switching to the local language during the narration.
Prior to the cross-examination, the Court dismissed a motion filed by the MP to halt the trial pending application filed at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh clarified that there was no order from the Supreme Court restraining the court from continuing with the trial. Following the refusal of the motion for Stay of Proceedings pending appeal, Tsikata informed the Court that he had repeated the motion at the Court of Appeal, leading to the adjournment of the trial to July 19, 2023, for further cross-examination.
The case stems from the nullification of Quayson’s election as the Member of Parliament for Assin North due to his dual citizenship status, holding Canadian citizenship alongside being Ghanaian at the time he filed his nomination for the 2020 election. Despite the initial nullification, he was reelected in a by-election but now faces charges of perjury and deceiving a public officer at the High Court.
