The Minority in Parliament has condemned attempt to serve Assin North Member of Parliament (MP), James Gyakye Quayson on the precincts of Parliame
The Minority in Parliament has condemned attempt to serve Assin North Member of Parliament (MP), James Gyakye Quayson on the precincts of Parliament.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said in a statement on Wednesday February 9 that “This is the first time in the history of Ghana that such a flagrant disregard of the privileges of Parliament and breach of the Constitution has taken place,”
He continued “We applaud the justices of the Supreme Court for upholding the fidelity of the law by pointing out to the desperate lawyers of the NPP the brazenly unconstitutional nature of the attempt to serve a sitting MP on the precincts of Parliament. We urge the Court to continue to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution.”
“The Minority Group in Parliament wishes to draw your attention to the bizarre and worrying development orchestrated by the desperate NPP Government to unseat the duly elected Member of Parliament for Assin North, the Hon. James Gyakye Quayson.
“It must be noted that during the sitting of the House yesterday, Tuesday, 8th February, 2022, it emerged that a bailiff from the Registry of the Supreme Court had made an attempt to effect service of a court process on the Hon. James Gyakye Quayson in his office in Parliament. This is the first time in the history of Ghana that such a flagrant disregard of the privileges of Parliament and breach of the Constitution has taken place.
“We in the Minority are deeply concerned by that blatantly unconstitutional act which was recognized by the Supreme Court for what it is- a brazen violation of the Constitution. We applaud the justices of the Supreme Court for upholding the fidelity of the law by pointing out to the desperate lawyers of the NPP the brazenly unconstitutional nature of the attempt to serve a sitting MP on the precincts of Parliament. We urge the Court to continue to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution.
“We are also aware that the said bailiff of the Supreme Court Registry is alleged to have informed the Court that he was assaulted by the police escort of the Hon. Member for Assin North. We wish to emphasize that the Honorable Member for Assin North, Hon. James Gyakye Quayson, does not have a police guard let alone a police escort to prevent service. This fact can be cross checked from the Ghana Police Service.
“It is clear that in their desperate attempt to implicate the Hon. Member in acts of criminality, the NPP lawyers are now seeking to concoct facts to justify criminal charges against the Hon. Member. This is a sad development for our democracy and we wish to condemn it in no uncertain terms.”
The Criminal Court 3 Division of the High Court had earlier on Wednesday February 9 issued criminal summons to Mr Gyakye Quayson.
He is being criminally prosecuted, together with other ongoing trials on the validity or otherwise of his election.
James Gyakye Quayson currently facing charges of deceit of public officer, forgery of passport or travel certificates, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office.
Meanwhile, a High Court Bailiff this morning told the Court he Mr. Quayson isn’t around, when he got to his residence in Accra.
He however said suspected that the lawmaker was indoors but was only evading service.
Yvonne Atakorah Oboubisa, Director of Public Prosecutions prayed the Court to serve a criminal summon Mr. Quayson.
He argued that this will urge him to respond to the Court.
She also informed the Court that notice of service had been posted on Mr. Quayson’s residence when the Bailiff could not gain direct access to him to serve him.
But, she prayed that Criminal Summons would be more compelling where posted at at a conspicuous part of his house as per Section 65 of Act 30.
The court subsequently agreed with the prayer and adjourned proceedings to Tuesday, February 15, 2022.
COMMENTS