Quayson’s trial: We expect favourable outcome from the Court of Appeal – Amaliba

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has defended the party’s decision to seek redress at the Court of Appeal for its Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson.

The party has vowed to go to the Court of Appeal to challenge the High Court ruling that dismissed an application to halt the daily trial of Quayson who is facing charges of forgery and perjury.

Lawyers for the embattled MP Tuesday moved an application for the High Court to stay proceedings to allow for the Court of Appeal to hear its appeal to review a decision by the trial judge to hear the case on a daily basis.

Mr. Quayson’s plea was rejected by the High Court.

Director of Legal Affairs for the NDC, Abraham Amabila said the ruling of the High Court will be appealed which he hopes for a positive outcome.

“We are dissatisfied, and we intend to repeat the application at the Court of Appeal where we expect a favourable result and as a result of that, we ask the court to enable us to file the stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal.”

The woes of Mr. Gyakye Quayson began with his declaration of intent to contest the Assin North Parliamentary elections in 2020 when a group calling itself 'Concerned Citizens of Assin North' petitioned the Electoral Commission in the Central Region to withdraw the candidature of Mr. Quayson, arguing that he was a Canadian citizen.

Despite the petition, Mr Quayson managed to sail through to contest representing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 parliamentary polls and got 17,498 votes representing (55.21%) while Abena Durowaa Mensah, the New Patriotic Party's candidate had 14,193 representing (44.79%).

Following Mr. Quayson's victory, a resident of Assin Bereku in the Central Region, filed a petition at the Cape Coast High Court seeking to annul the declaration of him as the MP of Assin North.

—Citi Newsroom