The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin was right in describing the criminal trial of the Assin North Member of Parliament-elect James Gyakye Quayson as selective, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Ketu North, Edem Agbana has said.
“It is selective as the Speaker said,” Agbana said on the Big Issue on TV3 Friday, June 30.
He added, “Increasingly, the judiciary under Akufo-Addo has become an institution Ghanaians don’t respect.”
“Do you know the number of MPs who are in court for various issues? Even the NPP candidate in Assin North Charles Opoku has a matter in court,” Agbana further stated.
Speaker Bagbin expressed concerns that the trial of Mr Gyakye Quayson was going to be on a daily basis.
Mr Bagbin believes that there is selective justice in relation to this matter because there are many more people who have the same issue as Gyakye Quayson but are not being prosecuted.
Mr Bagbin made these comments when he paid a courtesy call on the management of Media General in Accra on Thursday, June 29.
He said “The same thing I complained about, they are still chasing after him, and trying to prosecute him, even in that respect that they are talking about there are many more of us who have the same thing but they are not being prosecuted.
“That is the country we are in. Once we have selective justice you will never have peace, no peace without justice.”
The Supreme Court earlier nullified Mr Gyakye Quayson’s election as MP for Assin North for holding Canadian citizenship and being a Ghanaian when he filed his nomination to contest the election in 2020.
He was, however, re-elected the Assin North byelection that took place on Tuesday, June 27. He has been charged with perjury and deceiving a public officer.
The Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of the criminal trial to July 4. This was to allow for his lawyers to move motion for a stay of proceedings pending appeal at Court of Appeal TV3’s Laud Adu Asare reported on Thursday.
Mr Gyakye Quayson is appealling a High Court ruling to have his criminal case heard on a daily basis.
The Court presided over by Justice Mary Yanzuh on Friday, June 23 dismissed an application by lawyers of Mr Gyakye Quayson to have a hearing on the case varied.
The ruling implied the MP would from Tuesday, July 4, when the hearing begins, appear in court daily irrespective of his status as a lawmaker.
He also cites the ruling as a breach of Mr Gyakye Quayson’s right to a fair trial.