The Central Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Takyi Mensah has in his personal capacity petitioned the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to investigate the National Democratic Congress MP for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson over allegations that he falsely declared that he owes allegiance to only Ghana while filing nomination to contest in the 2020 elections in October.
According to him, Mr. Quayson at the time, held allegiance to both Ghana and Canada, against the constitution of Ghana.
“Mr. James Gyakye Quayson signed a Statutory Declaration under Party IV of the forms. Mr. James Gyakye Quayson appended his signature before a judicial officer that he did not owe allegiance to any country other than Ghana, at the time when he was fully aware that as a matter of fact, he owed allegiance to Canada at that material time of making the said Statutory Declaration,” he said in the petition.
He further claimed that in 2019 when Mr. Quayson wanted to acquire a Ghanaian passport, he denied holding dual citizenship in his forms when at the time he was a Canadian citizen.
According to him, Mr. Quayson through his actions had perjured himself “by lying under oath” and it was, therefore, necessary for criminal investigations to be initiated against him.
“It is also interesting to point out that in his quest to acquire a Ghanaian passport on 30th July 2019, Mr. James Gyakye Quayson was asked whether he held a dual citizenship, but he answered in the negative when in fact at the time of filling the said Ghanaian passport application forms, he was holding on the Canadian citizenship.”
Mr. Gyakye Quayson is already facing legal action over allegations that he holds dual citizenship and contested in the 2020 polls contrary to Ghana’s laws.
The country’s constitution frowns upon any instance of an elected Member of Parliament being a citizen of another country in addition to being a Ghanaian.
If found to be true, it constitutes grounds for the MP to be removed from Parliament.
Meanwhile, the NDC says the MP is “a full citizen of Ghana who owes no allegiance whatsoever to any other country. He is a Ghanaian in law and in fact and qualifies to be a Member of Parliament according to the laws of Ghana.”
