The High Court in Accra has issued a 31- day ultimatum to the Minister for Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond, to provide a justification for his comments suggesting that Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, would be imprisoned in his ongoing criminal trial. The court, presided over by Justice Mary Anzu, has ordered both parties to submit written arguments, with a deadline set for August 31, 2023.
The legal proceedings were initiated by James Gyakye Quayson, who filed a lawsuit citing KT Hammond for contempt in relation to the alleged comments made on Oyerepa TV and subsequently published on GhanaWeb. In the said interview, KT Hammond was quoted as stating, ' Gyakye Quayson will go to prison. ' Quayson' s lawyers argued that this statement violates their client' s right to a fair trial, as enshrined in Article 19(1) of the 1992 Constitution, which presumes an individual innocent until proven guilty.
James Gyakye Quayson is currently facing charges of perjury and forgery in connection with his Canadian citizenship status at the time of filing his nomination forms for the 2020 parliamentary election. The legal action against him arose following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed the Electoral Commission' s decision to allow Quayson to contest the 2020 polls without proof of renouncing his Canadian citizenship unconstitutional.
The apex court instructed Parliament to expunge Gyakye Quayson' s name from its records, nullifying his election and declaring it to be of no effect. Furthermore, his swearing- in was deemed unconstitutional, leading to the ongoing criminal trial.
Justice Mary Anzu has set Thursday, October 19, 2023, as the date for her judgment on the case. If KT Hammond is found guilty of contempt, he could face legal consequences, including imprisonment.
The court' s decision to rely on written arguments instead of oral ones has set the stage for a comprehensive review of the case before the judgment is delivered. As the legal battle unfolds, the nation awaits the outcome with bated breath, as it could have significant implications for both the accused MP and the Trade and Industry Minister.
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