The Cape Coast High Court has set July 14, 2021, for its ruling on the petition challenging the election of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Assin North, Mr James Gyekye Quayson.
This follows the clearance given to the presiding Judge, Mr Justice Kwasi Boakye, by the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, to proceed with the case.
Justice Boakye halted proceedings in the ongoing election petition case following a petition to the Chief Justice to have him removed from the case by the respondent.
But at its sitting on Monday, Justice Boakye said he had been directed to continue with proceedings since the petitioner had failed to substantiate his allegations of bias against him (judge).
On the change in legal representation for Mr Quayson, it was revealed that he (Mr Quayson) had still not been served following the judge’s request to have Mr Amaliba facilitate the process in getting him served on his application to withdraw as Mr Quayson’s counsel.
Justice Boakye said CI 47 permitted him to grant Mr Amaliba’s application to withdraw his services from the case without having the first respondent served.
The judge also indicated that he had used applicable laws to dismiss the stay of motion filed earlier, adding that there was now no obstruction in giving a final judgement on the scheduled date.
Mr Abraham Amaliba, after his application was accepted by the court, said the decision of the court to give judgment on July 14, 2021 without notice to the first respondent was an indecent haste.
Mr Quayson polled 17,498 votes as against 14,793 by the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) Ms Abena Durowaa Mensah, in the December 7, 2020 parliamentary election.
However, on December 30, 2020, a resident of Assin North, Mr Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, filed a parliamentary election petition at the Cape Coast High Court on the basis that at the time he (Quayson) filed his nomination to contest as a parliamentary candidate, he was still a citizen of Canada.
Source: MyPublisher24.com