On December 18, 2018, an Accra High Court presided by Justice Charles Ekow Baiden discharged En Huang, a female Chinese national who was charged with various offences together with four others.
The decision by the court was on the back of an application by the Attorney General’s Office to discontinue the case against the four who were arrested for engaging in illegal mining (galamsey) activities.
Senior State Attorney, Ms Mercy Arthur, presented the application for nolle prosequi to terminate the criminal proceedings instituted against the accused persons who first appeared in court on May 9, 2022.
It is reported that the discontinuance of the case paved way for a supposed deportation of the five Chinese nationals.
Aisha Huang and her accomplices were arrested for engaging in illegal gold mining at Bepotenten in the Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region.
She was charged with three counts of undertaking small-scale mining operations, contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703); providing mining support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), and the illegal employment of foreign nationals, contrary to the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).
The other four accused persons were charged with disobedience of directives given by or under the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).
The prosecution had presented to the court that checks at the Minerals Commission had revealed that Aisha had no licence to operate either a mine or a mining support services company.
The prosecution also contended that the visas issued to all the five Chinese by the Ghana Embassy in Beijing, China, did not allow them to work in Ghana.
Aisha Huang re-enters Ghana four years after supposed deportation
Some four years later, Aisha is back in court. On Monday, September 5, 2022, the Accra Circuit Court 9 presided by Samuel Bright Acquah, remanded Huang En and three other Chinese nationals into custody.
This was after Miss Huang, together with her accomplices were brought before the court on charges including engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a license and mining without a license.
The court on Monday could not take into record the pleas of the four suspects.
This was because there was no interpreter to help translate proceedings for the Chinese nationals.
The accused persons were not represented by a lawyer.
Based on the circumstance, the lead prosecutor, Chief Inspector Detective Frederick Sarpong, prayed to the court for an adjournment.
The court adjourned sitting on the case to Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
It is however not clear how the notorious illegal miner was able to find her way back into the country to continue with her activities.
GA/WA
Aisha Huang has been arrested for illegally re-entering Ghana after her deportation in 2018