The third prosecution witness in the trial of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, has testified that at the time the accused presented his nomination forms, he declared that he did not owe allegiance to any other country aside from Ghana.
Under the cross-examination of Mr Quayson’s lawyer, Tsatsu Tsikata, the witness said the accused in his statutory declaration further indicated that he was a Ghanaian citizen by birth.
Charges
Mr Quayson is facing charges of forgery and perjury about certain alleged offences in the run-up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election.
He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office.
It is the case of the prosecution that Mr Quayson allegedly made a false statement to the Passport Office that he did not hold a passport to another country when he applied for a Ghanaian Passport.
In addition, the prosecution has accused Mr Quayson of making a false declaration to the Electoral Commission (EC) to the effect that he (Quayson) did not owe any allegiance to a foreign country when he filed to contest as a candidate for the Assin North seat.
Testimony
Abubakar Sadick Yahaya, who is a Registrar with the Judicial Service of Ghana, said he was a commissioner in the Assin North election.
He told the court presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh that in the lead-up to the election, he was stationed at the Assin Fosu District Court.
Counsel asked the witness whether he wrote the witness statement to the case investigator.
Mr Yahaya replied in the affirmative and said he ordered one of his typists to type the written statement.
Counsel further asked for the name of the typist but the witness said he could not remember.
The witness again confirmed that he read the content of the statutory declaration of the aspirants in English and Twi, including the accused.
He added that in the case of Mr Quayson, he read his statutory declaration in English and Twi to him.
The case has been adjourned to February 16, this year for the prosecution to call its next witness.Â
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