A former Deputy Attorney General, Joseph Kpemka says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is taking a risk by siding with James Gyakye Quayson to contest on the ticket of the party in the upcoming Assin North by-election.
According to him, the party would bear the consequences of the outcome of the election should Mr Quayson be convicted in the criminal case against him.
“So in the end, I think that if they exercise caution and decide that on the basis of this, we are not too sure of what will be the outcome so we are bringing a different candidate, it’s another issue,” the Deputy Attorney General said.
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Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr Kpemka said that there would be a democratic enhancement if the NDC unanimously agrees to present Mr Quayson to run in the Assin North by-election.
He, however, asserted that there will be contention if people judge that Mr Quayson should be convicted.
The Deputy Attorney General further explained that “If he [Gyakye Quayson] is acquitted and discharged, that’s good but if he’s convicted, there’s going to be another by-election in the same constituency before 2024.”
He noted that it would be unfair for people to anticipate the conviction of Mr Quayson and added that it “would amount to excessive waste of our resources as a state in pursuance of this democratic right.”
In 2022, James Gyakye Quayson was slapped with charges including forgery and perjury by the Attorney-General’s Office.
He is also accused of deceiving a public officer and knowingly making a false declaration.
The case was filed after the High Court in July, 2021 annulled the Assin North Parliamentary election results saying Mr. Quayson was not eligible to contest the polls.
In May 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s decision stating that Mr Quayson was not qualified at the time of filing his nomination forms.
It further held that the EC allowing him to contest when he had not shown evidence of renunciation of his citizenship of Canada is unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has since ordered Parliament to expunge James Gyakye Quayson from its records as a Member of Parliament.
Presiding Judge Justice Jones Dotse on Wednesday, May 17, ruled that the Electoral Commission (EC) acted unconstitutionally in allowing him to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections without proof of him renouncing his Canadian Citizenship.
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