Gov’t persecuting Quayson, we’ll defend and protect him – Minority

The Parliamentary Minority has made the decision to respond in kind to the government’s escalation of its continuous persecution of Hon. James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency.

The High Court has decided that it will continue to hear the case daily despite a request for a stay of proceedings and a current application before the Court of Appeal opposing the daily trial. This decision was made in response to a request by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame.

The High Court’s decisions essentially left Hon. James Gyakye Quayson in the same predicament that the Supreme Court had put him in prior to the Assin North Constituency By-Election.

What time would the Member of Parliament be required to attend to Parliamentary business in order to serve the citizens of Assin North if he is required to appear in court every weekday for a trial? As a result, we are currently considering all of our options for defending and safeguarding our colleague.

The only individual to have been elected twice during a parliamentary term is the Honorable James Gyakye Quayson. His first victory came in the Assin North Constituency 2020 Parliamentary election, which the Supreme Court ruled was invalid after two and a half years. This led to a by-election, which he won on June 27, 2023, with a resounding 57.56%.

In a statement issued by Hon. Kwame Governs Agbodza, Minority Chief Whip, he stated that the Minority will continue to boycott parliament till the government recind its decision to persecute Gyakye Quayson.

Read the full statement posted by Minority Chief Whip below:

PRESS RELEASE

MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT RECIPROCATES RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT’S ESCALATION OF JAMES GYAKYE QUAYSON’S PERSECUTION.

The Minority in Parliament has decided to reciprocate its response to the government’s escalation of the ongoing persecution of the Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency, Hon. James Gyakye Quayson.

Following a request by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, that Hon. James Gyakye Quayson be tried on a daily basis, despite an application for stay of proceedings and a pending application before the Court of Appeal against the daily trial, the High Court has ruled that it will continue to hear the case daily.

In essence, the rulings by the High Court put Hon. James Gyakye Quayson in the same position that he was placed in by the Supreme Court before the Assin North Constituency by-election.

If the Member of Parliament must appear in court every week day for trial, what time will he have to attend to Parliamentary business to represent the people of Assin North? We are therefore, at this point, including all options available to us to defend and protect our colleague.

Hon. James Gyakye Quayson is the only person to have been elected twice within a Parliamentary term. He first won the 2020 Parliamentary election in Assin North Constituency, which was declared null and void by the Supreme Court after two and a half years. This triggered a by-election which he won again by an overwhelming 57.56% on 27th June, 2023.

***END***

HON. KWAME GOVERNS AGBODZA, MP

MINORITY CHIEF WHIP

WEDNESDAY, 19TH JULY, 2023

ACCRA

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com