The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has expressed his reservation about comments made by Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, who doubles as an Appeals Court judge.
According to him, the Dormaahene must desist from making controversial statements as it might affect his future plans of a promotion. He indicated that the Dormaahene’s call for the state to discontinue the criminal trial of the Assin North MP-elect cannot be made by a sitting judge.
“He is a judge, is it his position that should the case be before him, he would have rejected or made similar utterances? It is right for us all to allow the law to run its due process and course. We can ask the question whether the State has a case or not but beyond that, we cannot abuse the process. As an Appeals Court Judge, he is a potential candidate to the Supreme Court. Comments like this might haunt and affect the chance when posed to him at vetting. I disagree with him.”
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
Attorney General concerned over comments on Gyakye Quayson’s case
Meanwhile, the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has also expressed concern regarding comments made by individuals in high positions. He indicated that the comments could potentially impact the ongoing criminal trial of James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament-elect for Assin North.
He revealed that he is particularly concerned about calls to reverse the decision of the high court judge to hear the perjury case against the MP-elect on a daily basis. Mr Dame stated that his office would issue a comprehensive statement to address all the concerns raised.
Furthermore, the Attorney General iterated that such remarks have the potential to affect the fair trial of the case, as such these persons tend to discredit the administration of justice, which are detrimental to these cases and must not be condoned.
“I will come out with a proper statement on the matter and it will be in respect of all comments generally which have the tendency to subvert the administration of justice. I think that it is very unhealthy for our democratic dispensation and we must not countenance same.”
Godfred Dame
It will be recalled that the chief who doubles as President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs revealed during the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday, July 1, 2023, that he disagrees with the initial ruling made by the Supreme Court, which declared Gyakye Quayson’s parliamentary position invalid due to his dual citizenship status.
He indicated that Mr Quaysom was not willing to stay in Canada and dropped his citizenship, making his return to Ghana to help. He explained that when the Assin North MP-elect arrived, he had a bit of a challenge and the Supreme Court ruled that his mandate as an MP should be nullified.
Addressing the gathering, the Dormaahene made it clear that he would have taken a divergent stance if he had been part of the panel deciding on the matter. He further noted that if he “were on the Supreme Court, I would have gone left and not the right”.
His comment comes after James Gyakye Quayson won the Parliamentary polls despite being ousted from Parliament by the Court and his name expunged from the House’s records.
Mr Quayson is facing charges of forgery and perjury in relation to certain alleged offences in the lead-up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election.
He pleaded not guilty to five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office.
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