Assin North Criminal trial adjourned to October 18 pending application at the Supreme Court
When the case was called on July 20, 2022, Tsatsu Tsikata, counsel for the embattled MP, informed the court of the application filed by his side on July 18, 2022.
The High Court has adjourned the Criminal proceedings involving the injuncted Assin North Mp, James Gyakye Quayson, to October 18, 2022, pending the outcome of an application at the Supreme Court.
As a result, the cross-examination of the first prosecution witness(PW1) Richard Takyi-Mensah, has been put on hold.
When the case was called on July 20, 2022, Tsatsu Tsikata, counsel for the embattled MP, informed the court of the application filed by his side on July 18, 2022, seeking an order of certiorari relative to his Overruled objection against the tendering of the First Prosecution witness statement.
He, therefore, prayed the court to put the trial on hold pending the determination of that application in order to avoid prejudice against the accused person.
Additionally, Mr. Tsikata noted that they have requested for an early hearing of the application and hoping to provide copies of the same to the court and that they have been informed by the Registrar of the apex court that they are waiting for a date to be fixed by the Chief Justice.
On her part, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Yvonne Atakora Obuoibisa even though did not oppose Mr. Tsikata’s prayer, was not happy about the fact that her side had not been served with the application and was only hearing it for the first time in the courtroom.
She, therefore, requested more clarity on the application from the counsel for the embattled MP.
The presiding judge, after listening to both parties, took Mr. Tsikata by his word irrespective of the fact that she was yet to see copies of the application and thus adjourned the same to October 18, 2022.
During the last sitting of the court, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata’s objection relative to the tendering of a witness statement by the First Prosection Witness was overruled.
In the ruling, the presiding judge noted among others it was presumed that the witness had knowledge as stated in the witness statement.
Background
In February this year, Mr. James Gyakye Quayson was charged by the state with five counts of perjury and forgery of a passport with the specific charges being; deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was granted bail to the tune of GHc 100,000.
