Court to determine Quayson’s fate on March 3

The High Court in Accra on March 3, this year, will determine whether or not Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin-North, James Gyakye Quayson, should open his defence in the case in which he has been accused of forgery and perjury. 

The court presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh fixed the date after the prosecution led by a Principal State Attorney (PSA), Esi Dentaa Yankah, closed its case by recalling the fifth prosecution witness last Wednesday.

The Defence and state attorneys have been given two weeks to file their written submissions to enable the court to determine whether or not the prosecution has made a case for the MP to open his defence.

So far, the prosecution has marshalled six witnesses to prove its case against the accused person. 
Proceedings

Before winding up their case, the state prosecutors recalled Latif Oshenu to the box.

Counsel for the accused, Tsatsu Tsikata, cross-examined Latif Oshenu on his testimony about the MP’s nomination form in the 2020 elections. 

The witness was asked to show the court the part of the nomination form where Quayson claimed his Canadian citizenship had been denounced.

The witness replied that on the form, the MP did not show, adding, “However, at the time the accused person was filing the nomination, he had both Ghana and Canadian citizenship”.

Counsel further put to the witness that he (the witness) told this court that he was not an expert in Canadian law and yet he was making a categorical statement to the court that the MP had Canadian citizenship.

The witness, in his response, said, “I say so because a copy of his Canadian passport which came to my custody during the investigation was authenticated by the Canadian High Commission in Ghana.

“­We wrote two letters to the Canadian Commission. Both letters are in the docket,” he said. 

Not guilty

Mr Quayson is facing charges of forgery and perjury in relation to certain alleged offences in the run-up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election.

He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office.

It is the case of the prosecution that Mr Quayson allegedly made a false statement to the Passport Office that he did not hold a passport to another country when he applied for a Ghanaian Passport.

In addition, the prosecution has accused Mr Quayson of making a false declaration to the Electoral Commission (EC) to the effect that he (Quayson) did not owe any allegiance to a foreign country when he filed to contest as a candidate for the Assin North seat.