The former Deputy Attorney-General, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, has clarified that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did not make an explicit statement indicating that Assin North Member of Parliament-elect, James Gyakye Quayson, would be imprisoned.
In a 3News.com report, the former deputy Attorney-General emphasized that the President's comments did not categorically suggest Quayson's conviction.
“There was no categorical statement by the president that Gyakye Quayson will be convicted,” he said.
His comments follow a speech by President Akufo-Addo at the Church of Pentecost in Assin Akonfudi, in the Assin North Constituency of the Central Region, on Sunday, June 25.
During his address, the President indirectly suggested that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate in the by-elections, James Gyakye Quayson, could potentially face imprisonment.
"They say even if Gyakye Quayson is in jail, they will vote for him. Are we going to vote for someone who is going to prison? What benefits will the people derive from voting for such a person?
“We want someone who, when voted for, can come to me and plan how to develop the constituency," President Akufo-Addo stated.
In response, the then-candidate in the by-election now MP-election, James Gyakye Quayson asserted his innocence until proven guilty by the court, expressing disappointment in the President's prison-related remark concerning his ongoing criminal trial.
While clarifying the President's intention, former Deputy Attorney-General Joseph Dindiok Kpemka emphasized that Akufo-Addo did not explicitly state that Gyakye Quayson would be convicted.
The clarification comes amidst the ongoing discussions surrounding the Assin North by-election and the legal implications faced by the elected MP.