James Gyakye Quayson, the incoming member of parliament for Assin North, was not specifically mentioned as being sentenced to prison, according to the former deputy attorney general Joseph Dindiok Kpemka. The former deputy attorney general stressed that the President’s remarks did not unambiguously imply Quayson’s conviction in a 3News.com story. He said that the president had not explicitly stated that Gyakye Quayson would be found guilty. His remarks come after the president’s Sunday, June 25, speech at the Church of Pentecost in Assin Akonfudi, Assin North Constituency in the Central Region. The President implied during his speech that James Gyakye Quayson, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for parliament in the by-elections, would be imprisoned. “They claim that they will support Gyakye Quayson even if he is imprisoned. Will we cast our votes for someone who will serve time in jail? What advantages will the electorate experience by choosing such a candidate? President Akufo-Addo said, “We want someone who, if elected, can come to me and plan how to develop the constituency.” James Gyakye Quayson, the then-candidate in the by-election that is now an MP-election, responded by stating that he is innocent until and unless found guilty by the court and that he was disappointed in the President’s remark about going to prison over his pending criminal trial. Former Deputy Attorney-General Joseph Dindiok Kpemka stressed that Akufo-Addo did not specifically indicate that Gyakye Quayson will be found guilty while outlining the President’s objective. The explanation comes as debates about the Assin North by-election and the potential legal ramifications for the elected MP continue.
