An Accra High Court has ordered criminal summons to be issued against James Gyekye Quayson, Assin North Member of Parliament (MP), after he failed to appear before it to answer criminal charges.

The court also asked that Quayson be served through substituted service and that the charge sheet and criminal summons should be posted on the walls of his residence.

“The charge sheet and the criminal summons should be posted in a conspicuous manner at his residence GPS addresses GZ-192-7313, Manet Estate in Accra.”

Charges against Assin North MP

The Assin North MP has been charged with perjury, deceit of public officer, and making false declaration, among others.

He failed to appear before the court today, Wednesday, February 9, this year to answer the charges.

The court on February 3, this year, asked the State to cause hearing notices to be served on him and adjourned the matter to Wednesday.

At the Wednesdayís sitting, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, informed the court that they had caused notices of service on the MP at his residence at Manet, Accra and His residence at Assin Breku in the Central Region but unsuccessful.

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) had prayed the Court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of James Quayson for his failure to appear before the Court.

Mrs Obuobisa indicated to the Court that the State had caused two hearing notices to be served on the MP at his residence at Manet Estates in Accra and Assin Breku in the Central Region.

The DPP said the first hearing notice service was done on February 3, this year, with service address of the MP at Assin Breku in the Central Region.

“Subsequently, we had the address of the accused at Manet Estate in Accra and a hearing notice was posted at his residence.”

She said the case investigator also posted the charges at the MP’s residence in Accra.

According to the DPP, when the hearing notices and the charge sheet were given to the occupant in the MP’s residence, he declined to take it, saying the MP had gone out.

Mrs Obuobisa said efforts to serve the MP had proved futile hence “we pray for a bench warrant for the arrest of the accused person.”

James Gyekye Quayson, Assin North MP case

In July last year, a High Court in Cape Coast annulled the MPís Parliamentary election after Michael Ankomah Nimfah, a constituent of Assin North initiated action at the Supreme Court praying the court to restrain Quayson as a Member of Parliament for the Constituency.

The Court also restrained the MP from holding himself as a legislator.

He appealed against the decision of the High Court at the Court of Appeal.