The Minority in Parliament has condemned what it believes are attempts by the government to unseat its member from the Assin North constituency, James Gyakye Quayson.
In a statement to respond to claims that the bodyguard of the beleaguered MP manhandled a bailiff tasked to serve court processes on the legislator, the Minority said such cannot be the case.
“It must be noted that during the sitting of the House yesterday, Tuesday, 8th February 2022, it emerged that a bailiff from the Registry of the Supreme Court had made an attempt to effect service of a court process on Hon. James Gyakye Quayson in his office in Parliament. This is the first time in the history of Ghana that such a flagrant disregard of the privileges of Parliament and breach of the Constitution has taken place.”
“We in the Minority are deeply concerned by that blatantly unconstitutional act, which was recognized by the Supreme Court for what it is- a brazen violation of the Constitution,” the statement signed by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said.
The Assin North MP is being criminally prosecuted, in addition to other ongoing trials on the validity or otherwise of his election during the 2020 polls.
He has been accused of having dual citizenship prior to his election.
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Although a High Court annulled his election, the MP filed processes at the Appeals Court to have the ruling quashed.
The state has also filed court cases against the MP at the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, directed its Registrar, Matthew Antiaye, to submit a detailed report on an alleged assault and manhandling of a bailiff by a bodyguard of Mr. Quayson.
The 7-member Court, composed of Justices Jones Dotse, as President, Nene Amegatcher, Gertrude Torkonor, Yoni Kulendi, Agnes Dordzi, Mariama Owusu, and Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, was told in open court about how the embattled MP instructed his bodyguard to throw out the bailiff who had gone to serve him with court processes.
The bailiff, Joshua Baming, in an affidavit, said he arrived at Mr. Quayson’s office at Job 600, Parliament House where he introduced himself and declared his reason for the visit.
Mr. Quayson, however, allegedly refused to entertain him and asked his personal assistant to show the bailiff out.
According to the bailiff, the inability of the personal assistant to see him out, only got Mr. Gyakye ordering his bodyguard to throw him out.
The Minority in its statement said, “it is clear that in their desperate attempt to implicate the Hon. Member in acts of criminality, the NPP lawyers are now seeking to concoct facts to justify criminal charges against the Hon. Member. This is a sad development for our democracy and we wish to condemn it in no uncertain terms”.
Read the Minority’s statement below:
MINORITY GROUP IN PARLIAMENT RESPONDS TO THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL ATTEMPT TO SERVE CRIMINAL PROCESS ON THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR ASSIN NORTH, HON. JAMES GYAKYE QUAYSON
The Minority Group in Parliament wishes to draw your attention to the bizarre and worrying development orchestrated by the desperate NPP Government to unseat the duly elected Member of Parliament for Assin North, the Hon. James Gyakye Quayson.
It must be noted that during the sitting of the House yesterday, Tuesday, 8th February, 2022, it emerged that a bailiff from the Registry of the Supreme Court had made an attempt to effect service of a court process on the Hon. James Gyakye Quayson in his office in Parliament. This is the first time in the history of Ghana that such a flagrant disregard of the privileges of Parliament and breach of the Constitution has taken place.
We in the Minority are deeply concerned by that blatantly unconstitutional act which was recognized by the Supreme Court for what it is- a brazen violation of the Constitution. We applaud the justices of the Supreme Court for upholding the fidelity of the law by pointing out to the desperate lawyers of the NPP the brazenly unconstitutional nature of the attempt to serve a sitting MP on the precincts of Parliament. We urge the Court to continue to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution.
We are also aware that the said bailiff of the Supreme Court Registry is alleged to have informed the Court that he was assaulted by the police escort of the Hon. Member for Assin North. We wish to emphasize that the Honorable Member for Assin North, Hon. James Gyakye Quayson, does not have a police guard let alone a police escort to prevent service. This fact can be cross-checked from the Ghana Police Service.
It is clear that in their desperate attempt to implicate the Hon. Member in acts of criminality, the NPP lawyers are now seeking to concoct facts to justify criminal charges against the Hon. Member. This is a sad development for our democracy and we wish to condemn it in no uncertain terms.
We thank you for your attention.
SIGNED:
MINORITY LEADER
