An Accra Excessive Courtroom has dismissed what it described as irrelevant claims made by non-public authorized practitioner, Tsatsu Tsikata in opposition to Lawyer Normal (AG) Godfred Yeboah Dame, purporting to be prejudicial to the trial of deposed Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson.

Mr. Tsikata, whereas transferring a movement final Tuesday asking the court docket to fluctuate its resolution to conduct the trial on day-to-day foundation, relied on a supplementary affidavit which sought to carry to the eye of the court docket alleged prejudicial statements in addition to alleged insulting feedback made by the AG in opposition to the accused individual.

He had claimed that the Lawyer Normal in a number of interviews to the media had averred fairly conclusively that the destiny of the deposed MP was going to be like Adamu Sakande, a former Member of Parliament for Bawku Central who was jailed for 2 years for mendacity below oath about his citizenship whereas he was submitting his papers to contest for the parliamentary seat in the course of the 2008 basic elections.

He additional informed the court docket that these feedback by the Lawyer Normal counsel that the presumption of innocence is now not part of the structure and in impact the accused individual is already a convict

Mr. Dame, nonetheless, refuted the allegations and maintained that he had not stated something that was prejudicial to the felony trial of Mr. Quayson, and that every one the purported feedback have been primarily based on the ruling of the Supreme Courtroom which directed that the accused’s title be expunged from the 2020 parliamentary register.

He additional argued that the applying is unknown to the foundations and process of court docket, completely incompetent and would encourage discrimination if granted by the court docket solely as a result of it was filed by a politician when identical consideration is probably not given to a farmer or perhaps a instructor. 

Ruling

The court docket, presided over by Justice Mary Yanzuh, in a ruling dismissed Mr. Tsikata’s alleged prejudicial statements made by the Lawyer Normal as not related to the problem and couldn’t represent grounds for it to fluctuate its order to listen to the case on every day foundation.

Though the choose had granted go away for Mr. Quayson to not attend court docket for the ruling, she upheld the Lawyer Normal’s argument that adjournments are on the discretion of the court docket and never the comfort of events, indicating that its resolution was clearly throughout the regulation and no case had been made to indicate that the order was opposite to regulation.

The court docket subsequently dismissed the applying and maintained its resolution to listen to the case on day-to-day foundation ranging from July 4, 2023. 

Lawyer Normal’s Response

Mr. Dame, reacting to the court docket’s resolution, stated he feels vindicated by it as he was at all times agency in his conviction that the movement was unmeritorious and unknown to the regulation and should fail as had occurred.

“I’ve at all times maintained that the purported statements made by me to the media don’t have anything to do with the felony trial of James Gyakye Quayson. Mr. Tsikata wished to simply abuse my individual in court docket, and certainly used some unprintable language in opposition to me,” Mr. Dame stated.

He added that, “I’ve by no means stated something associated to the felony trial of Gyakye Quayson. Certainly, it’s the Supreme Courtroom ruling that described Gyakye Quayson’s matter as being on all fours with Adamu Sakande, one thing that Mr. Tsikata attributes to me and takes umbrage with.” 

Trial

Mr. Quayson has been charged, amongst others, for deceiving the Ministry of International Affairs by making a false assertion that he didn’t have a twin citizenship so as to purchase a Ghanaian passport.

He has been charged with 5 counts of deceit of public officer, forgery of passport of journey certificates, knowingly making a false statutory assertion, perjury and false declaration of workplace.

Mr. Quayson, who was booted out of Parliament by the Supreme Courtroom, might be despatched to jail for as much as ten years if discovered responsible of perjury, a second diploma felony, which is able to ultimately have an effect on his seat in Parliament ought to he win the Assin North by-election scheduled for June 27, 2023.