The Supreme Court has expressed readiness to probe the alleged assault of a Court bailiff, Joshua Baming, by the bodyguards of the Member of Parliament for the Assin North Constituency, James Gyakye Quayson.
The Court, headed by Justice Jones Dotse, has therefore instructed the Court Registrar, Matthew Antiaye, to make available a comprehensive report on the alleged assault of the Court’s official.
Judge Jones Dotse, gave the directive while ruling on the substantive matter of the court’s inability to serve Mr Quayson with a summons.
The report by the Court Registrar will subsequently be given to the Chief Justice, Justice Anin-Yeboah, for investigations to begin.
Other members of the panel who sat on Tuesday included, Nene Amegatcher, Gertrude Torkonor, Yoni Kulendi, Agnes Dordzi, Mariama Owusu, and Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu.
Background
Supreme Court Registrar, Matthew Antiaye, on Tuesday, told the seven-member panel about how, Joshua Baming was thrown out of the office of the Assin North MP, by the legislator’s bodyguard.
On separate occasions, court officials at the Supreme Court and prosecutors at the High Court have pointed out their inability to find the MP to hand him court processes. The action at the Supreme Court is among other things, seeking to restrain the MP from performing Parliamentary duties. There is another criminal case in which the MP is accused of forgery and perjury.
A Cape Coast High Court in July 2021, ruled that Mr Quayson was not eligible to contest the 2020 polls as he held dual citizenship at the time of filing. Mr. Quayson has since been fighting to set aside the matter currently pending at the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court had earlier ordered that the court process be served on the MP through the address stated on the case filed by Private citizen Michael Nimfah who initiated the action against the MP.
This address is the MP’s private residence in the constituency. The Supreme Court Registrar said an attempt was made to serve the MP at this address but a caretaker of the place is said to have told the bailiff that the MP has travelled and had no idea when he will be returning.
On the botched attempt in Parliament, the Registrar said the bailiff met the MP but the MP refused to be served and asked his bodyguard to throw the bailiff out of his office.
This order, according to the Registrar, was carried out.
The case was then adjourned to March 1, after the lawyer for the private citizen, Frank Davies said an application for substituted service will be made to the Apex Court if the bailiffs are still unable to serve Mr Quayson with the documents.