Court permits Gyakye Quayson to miss trial

The High Court in Accra hearing the perjury and forgery case against James Gyakye Quayson has fixed Friday June 23, 2023 to determine a motion seeking to halt the trial from continuing until the Assin-North by-election has been conducted on Tuesday June 27, 2023.

Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, who fixed the date, said Quayson could chose not to attend proceedings on the date set for the ruling.

Motion
Filed by lawyers for Quayson, the motion was praying the court, which had earlier fixed June 20, 21 and 23 to continue the criminal trial, to have the case rather continued after the Assin-North election.

In the motion, Quayson’s lawyers argued that hearing the case on the said dates would hamper Quayson’s chances in the elections.

Mr Tsatsu Tsikata added that by offering himself as a candidate for elections, his client, was on a national assignment.

But the Attorney-General and Minster of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, said the motion, when granted could lead to discrimination.

The A-G argued that all manner of persons, including farmers and public teachers appear before the court on criminal charges, hence a public school teacher facing criminal charges could had no right to choose not to attend court proceedings merely because he/she had to teach.

He insisted that contesting in an election was not a national duty.

Source: graphic online