John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed his disapproval of the High Court’s decision to conduct James Quayson’s trial on a daily basis.
Quayson, the parliamentary candidate for Assin-North, is currently facing charges of perjury and forgery.
During a campaign event in the constituency, Mahama criticized the court’s approach, highlighting that even murder suspects are not subjected to daily trials.
He argued that Quayson had not committed any crimes such as murder or theft, and his case demonstrated political influence within the judicial system.
Mahama further questioned the basis of the allegations against Quayson, emphasizing that denouncing Canadian citizenship should not automatically lead to criminal charges.
He vehemently stated that Quayson would not be imprisoned.
In response to the trial schedule, Quayson’s lawyer, Tsatsu Tsikata, filed an application with the High Court requesting a review of the order.
The hearing for the motion is set to take place on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
Previously, the High Court had ruled that Quayson’s trial must be conducted daily, starting from the same date.
Quayson’s lawyer had requested that the trial be postponed until after the Assin-North bye-election, scheduled for June 27, 2023. However, the court denied the request.
Quayson, who won the Assin North constituency seat in the 2020 general election, was expelled from Parliament following a directive from the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court ordered Parliament to remove his name from its records after allegations of dual citizenship arose. The state subsequently filed criminal charges against him.
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