Gyakye Quayson returns to Parliament following medical treatment abroad
Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, has resumed parliamentary duties after months away from the post following a health recovery trip.
After being re-elected in a by-election on June 27, 2023, and subsequently sworn in as the MP, Mr. Quayson traveled out of the country to seek medical care.
Speaking to the media in Parliament, the Assin North MP assured that he was healthy and ready to work for his constituents.
“I am alive and strong…Sometimes in life, you have to take care of yourself. I am back in full swing and I am going to take care of my constituents, caucus, and country Ghana,” he said.
Mr Quayson was also confident of the NDC’s win in the upcoming general elections stating “We are going to win and we are going to succeed again. Let’s keep hope alive.”
James Gyakye Quayson has been entangled in legal battles since he was voted as MP in the 2020 general elections.
After a long legal battle on whether or not he could present himself as MP, the Supreme Court ordered parliament to expunge his name from its records as the MP for Assin North on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.
A by-election in Assin North became necessary after parliament wrote to the Electoral Commission declaring the seat vacant.
Subsequently, Mr Gyakye Quayson was put forth again by the NDC for the bye-election and claimed the seat in Assin North.
In that poll, the MP emerged victorious after polling 17,245 votes representing 57.56%.
However, following this, he was once again slapped with charges including forgery and perjury by the Attorney-General’s Office.
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.
Amid that battle, Gyakye Quayson was flown to Canada to undergo a critical health emergency.
His lawyer, Tsatsu Tsikata, disclosed this to the Accra High Court trying him for alleged perjury and forgery over his acquisition of a Ghanaian passport.