The international relations expert has urged politicians to put the country’s stability first before their parochial interest.
“I would like to advise the government and probably the judiciary that they have to take the country’s future, stability into consideration when they seek their parochial interest,” he stated. The beleaguered Assin North legislator has been charged by the state with perjury, the deceit of public officers, forgery of travel certificates among others.
Dr. Ken Ahorsu, an international relations expert has said that the prosecution of the embattled Assin North MP James Quayson has the potential of destabilizing the country.
He argues that the economic challenges in the country coupled with frustrations emanating from government policies have dire consequences on the country’s stability.
“All kinds of things happening in the country – the increase in fuel prices, registration of SIM cards and others are creating a very poisonous atmosphere. And this legalistic prosecution of this MP may be something that may destabilize the country,” Ahorsu said.
Speaking to Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin on Wednesday (9 February), Ahorsu said politicians must put the peace of the country before their personal interests.
“I would like to advise the government and probably the judiciary that they have to take the country’s future, stability into consideration when they seek their parochial interest,” he added.
Criminal charges
The criminal high court has ordered a criminal summons to be posted on the door of the Manet Home of National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, after his failure to appear in court for the second time to answer for five charges preferred against him by the state.
The beleaguered Assin North legislator has been charged by the state with perjury, the deceit of public officers, forgery of travel certificates among others.
The charge sheet filed at the registry of the High Court and signed by Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, the Director of Public Prosecutions, preferred five counts against the MP.
Background
The Cape Coast high court restrained James Gyakye Quayson from holding himself as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Assin North.
On Wednesday 28 July 2021, Justice Kwasi Boakye also ordered fresh parliamentary elections to be held in the constituency. This followed a parliamentary election petition brought to the Cape Coast high court by Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, seeking to annul the MP’s election.
Quayson polled 17,498 votes against 14,793 by the New Patriotic Party’s Abena Durowaa Mensah in the 7 December 2020 parliamentary election.
On 30 December 2020, a resident of Assin North, Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, filed a parliamentary election petition at the Cape Coast high court challenging Quayson’s eligibility to be an MP.
He argued that the MP was not eligible because at the time he (Quayson) filed his nomination to stand as a parliamentary candidate, he was still a citizen of Canada. Such an act, he argued, was against the express provision of Article 94 (2)(a) of the 1992 constitution and Section 9(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1992 (PNDCL 284).
Quayson has since been fighting under the law to set this aside, with the matter currently pending at the Court of Appeal.
Source: asaaseradio
