The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, slammed the Deputy Minister of Energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, on live TV, over accusations the deputy minister made against him.

Egyapa Mercer, during Tuesday, June 1, 2023, edition of the Good Morning Ghana programme on Metro TV, said that the NDC Communications Officer has been bastardising the Supreme Court with comments he has made on the court's judgement on the former Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson.

"You sit where, and if I make reference to bastardising the court, and I didn't say that Gyakye Quayson has done so, but you sitting here have done exactly that.

"You say (Gyakye Quayson is) a victim of injustice by the court of this country; how so? Was it a kangaroo process… decision doesn't make sense is an opinion?" he said.

But Sammy Gyamfi, who was the co-panellist on the show, said that Egyapa Mercer was wrongly accusing him.

According to him, all the previous comments he made about the Supreme Court's rulings are allowed and are constantly used by lawyers and judges in courts.

"He says I have bastardised the court because I say the court has done injustice to Gyakye Quayson. That is bastardising of the court, is that what we were taught in the law school.

"What is the meaning of travesty of justice? When lawyers stand on their feet in court of appeals, challenging the decision of courts below and they describe rulings of the court as 'travesty of justice', does that amount to bastardisation of the court," he said.

Gyamfi also accused Egyapa, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Sekondi, of putting words in his mouth.

"And now he is saying that I said the decision of the court is senseless. You people, you can lie, oh! On this very platform, you're lying. Have I used the word senseless… I said the decision of the court in the Assin North (case) does not make sense in the light of the rules and the facts.

"What is wrong with that? Haven't you heard lawyers and judges describing court decisions as absurd? Do you know the meaning of absurd? You have not heard judges and lawyers describe decisions as unreasonable?" he asked.

He added that the deputy energy minister, who has practised law for years, has decided to engage in mischief because of politics.

Background:

A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court ordered Parliament to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament.

In the ruling, the apex court barred Mr Quayson from holding himself as a Member of Parliament, citinewsroom.com reports.

Mr Quayson was standing trial for counts of deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.

Justice Jones Victor Dotse, Justice Nene Amegatcher, Justice Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Araba Torkornoo, Justice Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Justice Yonny Kulendi and Justice Barbara Ackah-Yensu declared that Mr Quayson was not qualified at the time he contested the election 2020.
The State had, on February 12, 2022, charged James Gyakye Quayson with five counts being; deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.

As the trial continued on July 2022, his lawyers, led by Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, questioned the competency of the Prosecution's First Witness, Richard Takyi-Mensah, a teacher and his subsequent tendering of his witness statements.

But, his objection was overruled by the trial Judge Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzu, on the grounds that the witness was competent and duly admitted the witness statements and paragraphs.

Dissatisfied with the High Court's ruling, Mr. Quayson and his lawyers filed a motion at the Supreme Court seeking to quash the decision of the trial judge and order of Prohibition against the judge.

Watch the interview below:

"Is that what we were taught in the law school?" - A Sammy Gyamfi - Egyapa Mercer debate#GoodMorningGhana #MetroTV pic.twitter.com/zSuLdsp7hg

— Metro TV Ghana (@metrotvgh) June 1, 2023

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