By: Beatrice Oppon
The Attorney General (AG), Godfred Yeboah Dame has informed the Accra High Court that the State would be calling eight witnesses to testify in the case against the Chinese woman accused of engaging in illegal mining, Aisha Huang.
He said he has complied with the Court’s directives and already filed four witness statements and eighteen other documents.
The AG indicated to the Court that the State is all ready to proceed with the trial and prayed for a week adjournment.
The Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo however adjourned to October 24 for Case Management Conference and further directives on the case.
Aisha Huang is before the Court on four charges including entering the country when she had been prohibited from doing so.
The rest are undertaking mining operation without a licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in mining operation and illegal employment of foreign nationals.
She has pleaded not guilty to all charges and currently on remand.
Some of the charges are previous ones against her before the Attorney General entered a nolle prosequi last December 19, 2018 to discontinue the trial.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against her in 2017 after her four Chinese employees were arrested for engaging in illegal mining at Bepotenten in the Ashanti region.
According to the facts presented before the High Court, the same day after the trial was terminated, the Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service revoked her permit to stay in the country indefinitely and ordered her repatriation to China.
Aisha Huang was further directed to stay out of the country until the Comptroller General approved her re-entry. She was put on board an airline enroute to China.
She however defied the directive and re-entered the country and was subsequently arrested on September 2, 2022 at Kumasi in the Ashanti region.
Speaking to the media after the Court proceedings, Mr Yeboah Dame indicated that the “State is committed to prosecute the case to send a signal to the world that the country does not condone such illegality”.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor who was in Court said the government will continue with its efforts at ensuring that “illegal mining in the country is stopped”.
