The Communication Directorate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has directed its members across the country responsible for defending and projecting the ruling government’s policies and projects to refrain from attacking the personality of Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II.
This is after the respected chief who’s also a sitting High Court Judge called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Attorney General, Godfred Dame, to discontinue the criminal trial of the newly elected Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson.
Speaking at the 10th Anniversary Lecture in honour of Prof. John Evan Atta Mills, the Dormaahene called on the President to intervene in the prosecution while the Attorney General and Minister for Justice files a nolle prosequi.
Mr Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. He is facing charges of forgery and perjury about certain alleged offences in the run-up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election.
He has 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.
It is the case of the prosecution that Mr Quayson allegedly made a false statement to the Passport Office that he did not hold a passport to another country when he applied for a Ghanaian Passport.
In addition, the prosecution has accused Mr Quayson of making a false declaration to the Electoral Commission (EC) to the effect that he (Quayson) did not owe any allegiance to a foreign country when he filed to contest as a candidate for the Assin North seat in 2020.
However, speaking at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday, July 1, 2023, the Dormaahene appealed for the Attorney-General to drop the criminal charges against Mr Quayson.
“As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a Nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision and abort the criminal case against Mr Quayson”, the Dormaahene said.
Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II insisted that it was needless for the Attorney-General to continue the case, after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Mr Quayson to be their MP, adding that continuing with the criminal trial was an insult to Ghanaians and the people of Assin North.
“I’m saying so because if we continue with this case, we’ll be insulting Ghanaians, especially people of Assin North. I don’t see the benefit that accrues to the country by continuing with the prosecution. Now that Gyakye Quayson has been re-elected, if he’s hauled before the court how can he effectively discharge his duty as a Member of Parliament? If he’s not allowed to help in formulating good laws to ensure the development of the country, how can he be blamed? It is on this plane that I appeal to the President, Mr President, you know I love you, but this matter cannot go on. Attorney General, you are a son of the Bono soil, please go through your laws and have a second look at this case.”
The public lecture was organised on the theme: “The man John Evans Atta Mills – 10 years on”.
Various speakers at the lecture described the late Prof Mills as a unifier, peacemaker, truthful, God-fearing man, humble, tolerant, listener, patient and selfless among others.
As part of the lecture, a 24-book page titled “Atta Mills Speaks to the World” was launched.
The book captured Prof Mills’ statements at the 64th, 65th and 66th General Assembly of the United Nations, during his term as President.
A speaking note on 03.07.2023 sent across communications platforms of the party reads:
“Communicators should not attack the personality of the Chief though, we disagree with his call for the President to intervene or interfere with the independent work of the judiciary. 2. In the interest of equality before the law and the independence of the judiciary it will be better to allow the case to run its course. 3. The prosecution may determine whether to proceed or not; file a nolle prosequi or not if it becomes unavoidably clear that it does not have the evidence to advance the case. 4. Communicators should call on Ghanaians to support the Courts to do their work independently.”