Patrick Yaw Boamah appeals to Minority to rescind decision to boycott Parliament.
The Member of Parliament for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah, is appealing to the Minority to rescind its decision to boycott business activities in Parliament due to the prosecution of its members.
This comes after the caucus on Tuesday abandoned for the second time Parliamentary proceedings to solidarise with the Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, who is facing trial at the court.
Speaking to journalists, Patrick Yaw Boamah says the Minority must allow the legal counsel of Gyakye Quayson to handle his prosecution while they attend Parliament.
“Their absence from the house will definitely affect proceedings, it’s a serious matter that we are going through. The Minority is exercising their rights under the laws to go and solidarise with our colleague James Gyakye Quayson who was sworn in a week ago. I want to entreat the Minority to reconsider their decision because Quayson is duly represented by very experienced lawyers who can fight his case for him.”
“It’s also important that we are measured by what we do with regard to our responsibilities as MPs and as duty demands of us, we ought to be in the chamber to represent the people who voted for us. You can solidarize, but you should not forget your responsibility as an MP. It’s a right, a caucus, party decision, but I’m entreating them that there’s a limit to what they do, especially when we have business on the floor to partake,” he advised.
Lawyers of Assin North legislator, James Gyakye Quayson have served notice of moving to the Court of Appeal to request for a stay of proceedings in his criminal trial at the High Court following the decision of the trial Judge to dismiss a similar application.
The High in Court in Accra on Tuesday rejected arguments raised by lawyers of Quayson in support of the application for stay of proceedings.