Assin North: We would vote for Gyakye Quayson even if he will be jailed for another by-election – Residents

Some people of the Assin North Constituency are unconcerned about the prospect that James Gyakye Quayson, the area’s former Member of Parliament (MP), would go to jail due to his ongoing criminal trial.

Residents claimed in a popular video spotted by GhanaWeb that they would support Gyakye Quayson regardless of the outcome of his trial.
They stated that they had realized that the only time the government would step in to help them is if a by-election occurred in their constituency.

“We would support Gyakye Quayson in a subsequent by-election if he were to be imprisoned following our vote for him.

“Because if there hadn’t been a by-election, the government wouldn’t be helping us out as much as it is now and we wouldn’t be receiving the money and other benefits it is currently providing. Therefore, we would support him in the event of another by-election, Gloria, a local and seamstress, stated in Twi.

BACKGROUND OF THE STORY

The Supreme Court of Ghana, on May 17, 2023, ordered the Parliament of Ghana to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament (MP)

Justice Jones Victor Dotse, Justice Nene Amegatcher, Justice Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Araba Torkornoo, Justice Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Justice Yonny Kulendi and Justice Barbara Ackah-Yensu declared that Quayson was not qualified at the time he contested the election 2020 in the Michael Ankomah Nimfah vrs James Gyakye Quayson case.

According to the court, the ousted Assin North MP failed to prove that he had renounced his Canadian citizenship when he filed his nomination to contest the 2020 general elections.

Parliament subsequently declared the Assin North seat vacant, leading to the Electoral Commission of Ghana announcing a by-election on May 27, 2023, to fill the seat.

But there is still one case the former MP has to face in court after the Office of the Attorney General accused him of deceiving public officers to acquire state documents.

On February 12, 2022, the State charged James Gyakye Quayson with five counts; deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.

Source: Mynewsghana.com