The Minister for Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir (KT) Hammond, has weighed in on the fate of the Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson.
He stated that Mr Quayson’s future would be similar to that of the former MP for Bawku Central, Adamu Dramani Sakande, who was imprisoned for concealing his dual citizenship status involving Burkinabe and British citizenships.
According to Mr Hammond, the case of Adamu Sakande serves as a precedent for Mr Quayson’s situation.
He pointed out that the same National Democratic Congress (NDC) members who removed Sakande from Parliament and took him to court are now facing a similar scenario with Mr Quayson.
“There is something we call precedence at the court… this is the same thing that happened with Adamu Sakande. He (Sakande) came to this House, the same NDC members were the ones who sacked him from parliament and took him to court. He was imprisoned and he eventually died and was buried. It is the same matter,” Mr Hammond explained in Twi in an interview with Oyerepa TV.
He emphasized that Mr Quayson’s swearing-in had sparked controversy, but it was essential for him to be aware of the legal implications he could face.
Mr Hammond revealed that he urged the former deputy Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, to advise Mr Quayson to leave Parliament to avoid imprisonment, drawing a parallel to Sakande’s situation.
“There is precedence, this is the same as the Adamu Sakande case. Adamu was jailed for having multiple citizenships and Quayson had the same issue. Now he (Quayson) has renounced his other citizenship and he is only Ghanaian… but laws he broke previously are what we are talking about,” Mr Hammond stated.
