The Accra High Court has set March 3 to determine whether the prosecution has made the substantial case against MP for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson for him to open his defence.
The legislator is facing charges including deceit of public officer, forgery of passport or travel certificates, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, and perjury and false declaration for office. He has pleaded not guilty and remains on bail.
At the last adjourned date, the prosecution applied to recall their fifth witness, Latif Oshenu. During cross-examination, he noted to the court that a page was missing from an exhibit he had previously submitted as evidence.
The court granted the prayer for the witness to be recalled in order for the full document to be presented in court so he refers to the omitted portion.
On Wednesday, February 12, Principal State Attorney Esi Yankah Dentaa told the court that upon writing a letter requesting documents from the passport office and the Electoral Commission, they had only received a response from the passport office.
The Electoral Commission, she explained were yet to attend to their request but added that they had been assured of its arrival. She, therefore, prayed for a brief adjournment but was quickly opposed by lawyers of James Gyakye Quayson.
“We have obtained a response from the passport office but I’m yet to obtain a response from the electoral commission. But I have been assured that we will receive that response shortly.
“We wish to present the originals to the court but we are unable to do so at present because of the shortness of the time between the service of the court order on the institutions and today’s sitting.”
During the cross-examination by counsel for Gyakye Quayson, Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, the witness while referring to his evidence told the court that the MP for Assin North had indicated in his statutory declaration form that he is only a Ghanaian citizen and does not owe allegiance to any other country.
He alleged that it was contained in a letter he had written to the Electoral Commission.
After the cross, the prosecution hinted that they had closed their case.
The presiding judge, Mary Ekue Yanzuh directed both the defence lawyers and the prosecution to file their written submissions in two weeks and noted that she would rule on the submission of no case from lawyers of the Assin North member of Parliament.
The post Gyakye Quayson trial: High Court to determine fate of Assin North MP on March 3 first appeared on 3News.
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