Appeal Court Dismisses Gyakye Quayson’s Request to Nullify High Court’s Criminal Trial

The Court of Appeal has denied a request by James Gyakye Quayson, a suspended Assin North MP, to have his criminal trial at the High Court temporarily halted.

Three of the five criminal charges leveled against James Gyakye Quayson are being challenged.

Tsatsu Tsikata, his lawyer, told the Appeal Court that the three charges amounted to constitutional interpretation issues that the High Court lacked jurisdiction to address.

However, Richard Gyenbiby, a Principal State Attorney, told the court that none of the charges leveled against the embattled Member of Parliament raised any constitutional issues that needed to be addressed.

Judge of the Court, His Lordship Henry Anthony Kwofie, read the Panel’s decision, saying James Gyakye Quayson failed to persuade in proving that there were any unusual circumstances warranting the criminal trial’s postponement.

James Gyakye Quayson has returned to the Court of Appeal to seek a stay of execution following the court’s decision to dismiss his earlier appeal against the Cape Coast High Court’s judgment nullifying the 2020 parliamentary election in the area.

Mr. Quayson has also filed an application with the Court of Appeal in Cape Coast to have his appeal, which was dismissed, re-listed.

It came just days after the Supreme Court, in a 5-2 majority judgment on Wednesday, barred Quayson from making any more statements.
The Supreme Court had explained that its indefinite restraint of James Gyakye Quayson, as Assin North MP, was to protect the constitution and the sovereign will of Ghanaians without subverting it, until a case challenging the legislator’s eligibility is determined.

Mr. Quayson in his writ, also explained that failure to put a hold on the decision of the Court of Appeal which will directly affect the High Court judgment, will “not only occasion an irreparable injustice and damage to the people of the Assin North Constituency and the Applicant but would also lead to the 2nd Respondent [Electoral Commission] having to expend significant financial resources in organizing a by-election.”

Source: Opemsuo.com/ Emmanuel Owusu Anti