What is the public interest in prosecuting Gyakye Quayson? - Martin Kpebu asks
Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu
A private legal practioner, Martin Kpebu has raised concerns over the perceived hypocrisy in the ongoing prosecution of Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament for Assin North, concerning his alleged breach of the dual citizenship law.
Read full articleKpebu's remarks come as MP the Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, is facing a criminal trial in court even after several calls for the Attorney General to file a nolle prosequi to discontinue the case.
According to him, the trial of the Gyakye Quayson is happening at a time when there is a bill in parliament that when passed will repel the law that addresses the issues of persons with dual citizenship and contesting to be members of parliament in the country.
Highlighting the potential contradictions, Kpebu questioned the public interest in prosecuting Quayson while Parliament simultaneously seeks to repeal the law barring dual citizens from contesting elections.
“The hypocrisy is just too much. What is the public interest in prosecuting Gyakye Quayson. Where is the public interest? Right now as we speak, in parliament itself there is a bill where they are seeking to repeal the constitution on dual citizenship no dual citizens contesting to become MPs. So what situation are we creating,” he said.
Kpebu drew attention to a bill currently before Parliament, supported by the government, which seeks to repeal the law barring dual citizens from holding parliamentary seats.
This contradiction between the ongoing legal proceedings against Quayson and the proposed legislative change has left many questioning the coherence of the nation's actions.
“We have a situation where there is a bail before parliament and the government is supporting the bill that we should repel the law that prohibits dual citizens from becoming MPs. We are taking the constitution and then you go into the people representation law, PNDC law 284.
“So we are in the process of repealing the law and at the same time we are in the process of a person who allegedly breaches that law. The optics are very very bad, we look very confused as a nation when we go into such activities. It's like we take two steps forward and then we take four steps back. How can you keep the two, Martin Kpebu asked.
NW/OGB
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