The Supreme Court, in a 5-2 majority decision, ruled that the Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson, is not the Member of Parliament for Assin North.
This comes after a citizen of Assin Bereku, by name of Michael Ankomah Nimfah, on January 27, 2022, filed an interlocutory injunction against the MP from performing his parliamentary duties after a high court judgment annulled his election due to the issue of dual citizenship on July 28, 2021.
The embattled Member of Parliament had appealed against the High Court judgment but was struck out for failing to file written submissions within the mandatory period.
Although the panel was constituted of seven (7) justices, only two of them voted against the ruling.
Here is a list of all the judges who presided over the case:
Chaired by Justices Jones Dotse, the other justices on the panel were Agnes Dordzie, Nene Amegatcher, Prof Ashie Kotey, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkonoo, Clemence Honyenuga, Prof Henrietta Mensah Bonsu and Emmanuel Y. Kulendi.
The two judges who voted in the minority on the case were Justices Dordzie and Nene Amegatcher.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, has said that the Assin North Member of Parliament James Gyakye Quayson must face the law like the former Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Adamu Dramani Sakande.
The counsel for the state, Godfred Dame, speaking to journalists after the ruling, made reference to the case of former Bawku Central MP, Adamu Sakande who was served a jail sentence for forgery among other charges.
“I think that there ought to be even application of the law, there ought to be an equal application of the law, the same fate that befell Adamu Sakande who was not qualified at the time that nominations were opened and we all know what happened to him,†he said.
In July 2021, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Adamu Dramani Sakande, was convicted by an Accra High Court after he was found guilty of perjury and forgery.
This was after he failed to denounce his UK citizenship before contesting for the Bawku Seat.
Relating it to the case of James Gyakye Quayson, the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, said there ought to be even application of the law.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com