Popular Chinese galamsey Queen, En Huang, aka Aisha Huang, broke down in tears when an Accra High Court again declined her application for bail.
Illegal mining has taken center stage of political, social, moral and economic discourse recently with most Ghanaians bemoaning its adverse effects on land, water bodies and on the indigenes of the mining communities.
Aisha Huang, the galamsey queen was arrested along with her accomplices and most Ghanaians are very expectant of her prosecution which is yet to happen.
The Court Proceedings.
Captain Retired Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, lawyer of Aisha Huang’s, filed an application for her bail, backed with the explanation that Aisha Huang was on bail during her trial in 2017.
“I am not saying you should leave her. I am only asking that as the case continues, please allow her liberty in terms of movement, subject to the condition that the court would indicate.
“Five years ago, while my client was on trial on similar charges, she never absented herself from any of the court sitting dates.”
“Being in prison or custody is not an easy thing you know. I have been through it and I know how it feels,” Pleaded the defence counsel.
Mrs Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, who presided over the Court, declined the application on the premise that the trial is progressively moving at a faster pace since its commencement.
From the outset, Mrs Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, the Director of Public Prosecutions, ushered Superintendent of Immigration, Reuben Ransford Aborabora, in evidence.
“The accused is a foreigner and she has no social or other ties in the jurisdiction, and she is, therefore, a flight risk,” the court stated.
Recounting Events Leading to Aisha Huang’s Arrest
The first prosecution witness recounted that, on May 5, 2017, he led six other officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to check on the validity of the permits of foreign nationals in the country as part of his duties. The officers, attached to the Enforcement Unit of GIS, went to Bepotenten in the Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region.
Supt. Aborabora added that the purpose of going to Bepotenten was to verify information,
“Our office had received to the effect that some Chinese nationals and others were engaged in illegal mining at Bepotenten despite the government’s ban on illegal mining activities.”
A container was found loaded with machine parts in it on the road, which runs through the site as well as barrels containing fuel, while mining activities had generated freshly dugout heaps of sand upon checking in at Bepotenten, the first prosecution witness mentioned.
There was a cocoa farm close to the site and part of the cocoa farm had been cleared, while dug out pits, had some water in them, he added
Supt. Aborabora said: “At the site, I heard the sound of excavators in use and the sound of generators. In total, I saw six excavators out of which four were in use.”
At Bepotenten, Supt. Aborabora said “the team arrested four Chinese nationals, including one Gao Jin Cheng, who informed them that they were there to mine for one Aisha.
He said when he asked the four for their passports, they told the team that they were with Aisha.
The mining activities at Bepotenten were recorded on his mobile phone and transferred to a Compact Disc and later to a pen drive, the video recording was then played in court as part of the evidence.
Questioning by Counsel and Witness’ Response
Answering questions under cross-examination by Capt. Effah Dartey, the officer, insisted that Aisha was not at Bepotenten when his team visited.
The officer also said personally, he had no direct information against Aisha for mining illegally.
However, it was Gao who told him that they were at the mine site for Aisha, who also had their passports.
Defence Counsel (DC): “If Gao Jin Chen gave you wrong information, then your source is wrong.”
Witness: “Yes, my Lord, I only reported on what Gao Jin Cheng told me and I forwarded the same in my report to the GIS Enforcement Unit in Kumasi for further investigations.”
DC: “You and your men carried out regular operations at Bepotenten.”
Witness: “Not exactly, we go there as and when my senior officer in charge directs.”
DC: “Are you aware that some of your men were constantly being compromised?”
Witness: “No, my Lord, I have no personal information to that effect.”
Aisha Huang’s Charges
- Aisha who was arrested following her entry into Ghana is being held for allegedly engaging in galamsey activities at Bepotenten in the Ashanti Region in the year 2017.
- undertaking mining operations without a license and facilitating the participation of persons engaged in mining.
- Illegal employment of foreign nationals and entering Ghana while she had been prohibited from re-entry.
