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Gyakye Quayson’s trial continues in absentia as judge doubts medical excuse
The High Court in Accra has heard the case involving Assin North Member of Parliament James Gyakye Quayson in his absence.
This follows the failure of the legislator to make himself available in court on Thursday, as directed by the court.
The accused, who is on trial for alleged counts of perjury, was instructed by the court on November 3 to either appear in court or join a virtual link on November 9.
This directive was necessitated by the failure of the accused and his lawyers to make themselves available for proceedings at the last adjourned date.
The Judge, Justice Mary Yankuh, directed that the trial may continue in absentia if the accused, who she believed did not have any reasonable basis to be absent, repeats a similar act.
But on Thursday when the case was called, his lawyers led by Tsatsu Tsikata explained that James Gyakye Quayson was out of the country for medical tests and requisite treatment.
“The accused person is in Canada for medical tests and the requisite treatment arising from those tests,” Tsatsu Tsikata noted in court.
He explained to the court that the accused was preparing for the medical doctors in Canada to provide the court with an update on his medical situation for which the treatment may take 5 months.
He, however, indicated that steps are being taken to get a medical doctor in Ghana to testify to the medical condition of the legislator.
“I am, therefore, asking the court to allow us to contact that doctor in Ghana to make him available to the court to make it clear to the court the medical situation which makes it necessary for the accused to go for medical treatment from specialized doctors,” Tsatsu Tsikata pleaded with the court.
He also notified the court that his client and lawyers were not aware of the November 3 sitting where the order to possibly try the case in his absence was given. He urged the court to review its stance taken on November 3.
But the Judge indicated that there was no evidence before the court confirming the medical condition of the accused; hence, the court will treat it as though he has no medical condition as claimed.
The judge then ordered the trial to continue in his absence under article 19(3b) of the 1992 constitution and asked Tsatsu Tsikata to conclude his cross-examination of prosecution’s witness 1, Richard Takyi, an executive of the NPP in the central region.
Source: Citinewsroom
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Focus on more pressing issues like Galamsey, not hate speech – Ellen Ama Daaku to Mahama
An aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,Ellen Ama Daaku has advised President John Dramani Mahama to shift his attention from social media hate speech to more urgent national issues such as illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview, she noted that the President’s recent comments about tracking the IP addresses of people who spread hate speech were unnecessary.
According to her, President Mahama must first define what he considers to be hate speech before seeking to punish people for it.
Ms. Daaku argued that the President himself had benefitted from hate speech and social media attacks in the past when he was in opposition.
She said even during his time in government, he described his opponents and their tribesmen in unpalatable terms, which later drew complaints from former President Nana Akufo-Addo to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
She stressed that harsh criticism of leaders on social media should not automatically be considered hate speech, adding that former leaders, including former President Nana Akufo-Addo had all been subjected to it.
“He is only feeling what Nana Akufo-Addo went through for eight years,” she remarked.
While acknowledging the need to regulate misconduct online, Ms. Daaku insisted that going after social media activists should not be a priority.
She noted that many political activists, including herself, had been insulted and attacked online but never called for arrests.
She concluded that President Mahama should focus his energy on solving pressing problems such as galamsey and the economy instead of concentrating on critics on social media.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
