Assin North MP slapped with 5 criminal charges, faces 10-year jail term if found guilty

Ousted Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, has been charged with five criminal offences for holding dual citizenship prior to his election as a parliamentary candidate on the ticket of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

If found guilty, the MP faces up to 10 years imprisonment.

Per charge sheets filed at the Registry of the High Court in Accra on Thursday, June 1, available to ModernGhana News, Mr Quayson is accused of deceit of public officer, forgery of passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, false declaration for office and perjury.

The charges stem from alleged false declarations Mr Quayson made in applying for a Ghanaian passport in July 2019 and in filing his nomination forms to contest in the 2020 parliamentary elections.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, signed off on the charges on behalf of the Attorney General.

According to the brief facts of the case, Mr Quayson held Canadian citizenship at the time of applying for the Ghanaian passport and filing his nomination forms but failed to declare it.

"The accused person at the time held a Canadian citizenship issued on 30th October 2016 but failed to declare same on the application form," the charge sheet for deceit of public officer stated.

Regarding the false statutory declaration charge, the brief facts indicate that "Quayson used a statutory declaration which he had sworn to on 6th October 2020 before the District Court Registrar at Assin Fosu stating that he does not owe allegiance to any country other than Ghana."

The filing of charges comes a few days after the Supreme Court nullified Quayson's election following a petition challenging his eligibility.

Find copies of the case documents below: