James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament for Assin North, says he is not afraid of going to jail if convicted of the accusations leveled against him.
Quayson stated on Citi TV’s Face to Face that he believes in the legal system and that he would be absolved of all allegations.
When asked by presenter Umaru Sanda if he is worried about ending up in Nsawam jail if proven guilty, the Assin North MP responded, “No, why should I? I believe in the justice system. The fundamental thing about any judicial matter is that person intended to commit that crime. Did he plan it, I have not planned anything of such”.
“My strongest conviction is that this is just a matter of time, when you believe you have done the right thing, you shouldn’t be afraid. I trust the court will deliver a very much positive verdict, I trust my lawyers, I trust the conscience of the people”.
He admitted to having used his dual citizenship since 2009.
“You get your dual citizenship through the Ministry of Interior, where you bring your Canadian passport and that of Ghanaian passport, and then they give you a green certificate, which is your dual citizenship. From 2009 till the time I became just solely a Ghanaian, I was travelling from Ghana to Canada, without a visa.
“The Ghanaian authorities recognise me as a dual citizen person, so how can the same person be applying for or renewing his passport, and you say I don’t have any other nationality? It doesn’t make sense. Unless they also don’t check their own records. So I don’t fear going to jail at all,” the MP stated.
The MP is presently facing forgery and perjury allegations in court.
The state is pursuing him on charges of deception of a public officer in violation of section 251(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29; forgery of a passport or travel certificate in violation of section 15(1)(b) of the Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967 (NLCD 155); and knowingly making a false statutory declaration in violation of the Statutory Declarations Act, 1971, Act 389.
He is additionally charged with perjury under section 210 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29, as well as False Declaration for Office under section 248 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29.
