By Beatrice Oppon
A second Prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a Chinese woman accused of engaging in illegal mining Aisha Huang has told the Accra High Court that the accused acquired an indefinite residency permit based on a forged marriage certificate.
Superintendent of Immigration, David Essien, said Aisha Huang was on an indefinite residency permit granted to her based on her supposed marriage to a Ghanaian known as Anthony Fabian.
He said investigations, however, conducted by Ghana Immigration Service established that the accused person used a forged marriage certificate and Ghanaian passport in support of her application for the indefinite residency permit.
Superintendent Essien during cross-examination by Lawyers for the accused person said he encountered Aisha Huang on two occasions.
The first time he said was in connection to a publication in the media in August 2016. The witness said in reference to the said publication, the Commander of the Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Immigration Service in Kumasi ordered him to invite Aisha Haung to the Office to ascertain her immigration status and also conduct investigations into the said situation on the ground.
He said on August 30, 2016, the accused person honoured the invitation to his office and submitted her passport.
According to the prosecution witness, on the face value of her passport, the accused person was on an indefinite residency passport permit which was granted to her based on her supposed marriage to the said Ghanaian.
Superintendent Essien said the investigations proved that the documents, including her Marriage Certificate and Ghanaian Passport, were forged and this led to the revocation of her permit by the Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service on grounds of fraudulent misrepresentation.
He said the accused person was subsequently repatriated on December 19, 2018.
The trial continues Tuesday, November 15, 2022.
