Aisha Huang was not charged in 2018 – Government spokesperson claims
Ghana Card purported to be that of Aisha Huang | File photo
Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, a government spokesperson on security and governance has justified why the state is reinstituting charges on controversial illegal small-scale mining kingpin, Aisha Huang.
Read full articleBoakye-Danquah in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM on September 7, 2022 stressed that having filed a nolle prosequi in 2018 before deporting the Chinese national, it was within the remit of the state to revisit the matter.
“You recall in 2017 (2018) there was a nolle prosequi, which was the right of the prosecutor to continue and so she was not even charged or acquitted even in the law court, (before) she was deported.
“So, it is right for the Attorney General to want to even look into the matter,” he stated before responding to the likely impact of the latest rearrest and decision to prosecute Huang after she reentered the country illegally.
“We are aware and very certain that the Sinohydro (deal) is not going to be impacted at all especially because of how far we have moved our works and development in that regard.
“Govt is resolute that Aisha Huang goes through the full rigours of the law and I am very certain that we are not breaking any diplomatic channels as we go ahead with this decision,” he added.
Was Huang charged before deportation or not?
GhanaWeb archives show that Aisha Huang as she was known at the time was the subject of a formal charge before an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Charles Ekow Baiden, before the state filed a discontinuance.
After that filing, the court discharged Huang and four other accused persons.
The exact charges started in May 2017 when the five were arraigned for galamsey in the Bepoteman in the Amansie Cenral District of the Ashanti Region.
Aisha was specifically charged with undertaking small-scale mining operations contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
She was also charged with providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to Section 59 and 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act; and also charged with illegal employment of foreign nationals (in breach of section 24 of the Immigration Act and regulation 18 of the Immigration Regulations).
The other four accused persons were charged with disobedience of directives given by or under the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).
