- "I understand he applied for a stay of execution and that was rejected and he appealed and the Appeal Court also rejected that stay of execution. Now, once there’s no stay of execution, in the law, the man ceases to be an MP. To tell you the truth, the state can even go to him and collect the parliamentary allowances he has collected."
Sam Okudzeto, the renowned lawyer and member of the Council of State has said the brouhaha surrounding the Assin North parliamentary election is causing needless tensions in Ghana.
According to him, once a court of competent jurisdiction has declared the election of the embattled NDC MP James Gyakye Quayson as null and void, the MP must not hold himself as a lawmaker until proven otherwise.
“A petition was made to the court and the court gave it a judgement that he had a Ghanaian nationality as well as a Canadian nationality and therefore his standing for election was illegal. And in law, it means that the declaration that was made at the end of the polls was void. And it is as if you have not been elected at all,” Okudzeto stated.
Stay of execution
Engaging Asaase Radio’s Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin on Wednesday (9 February), Okudzeto said: “I understand he applied for a stay of execution and that was rejected and he appealed and the Appeal Court also rejected that stay of execution. Now, once there’s no stay of execution, in the law, the man ceases to be an MP. To tell you the truth, the state can even go to him and collect the parliamentary allowances he has collected.”
Unnecessary tension
“My fear has always been that if we’re not careful, we ourselves are creating tensions in the country. And we knew that some of this tension has happened in the past which was used as an excuse to make coups.
“And sometimes some politicians are so stupid they think that if this government is overthrown, it is ideal. But the question is, do you know who replaces it?” he asked.
Listen to the full interview in the attached audio clip below:
Criminal charges
The criminal high court has ordered a criminal summons to be posted on the door of the Manet Home of National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, after his failure to appear in court for the second time to answer for five charges preferred against him by the state.
The beleaguered Assin North legislator has been charged by the state with perjury, deceit of public officer, forgery of travel certificate among others.
The charge sheet filed at the registry of the High Court and signed by Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, the Director of Public Prosecutions, preferred five counts against the MP.
Nicholas Brown
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