Aisha Huang pleads with court to change bail terms

En Huang, aka Aisha Huang, the alleged “galamsey” kingpin, has applied to the Accra High Court to change her bail conditions.

In June, 2017, Aisha and four other Chinese, standing trial for engaging in illegal mining, were granted bail by the court in the sum of Gh¢ 500,000 each.

Per the bail conditions, the alleged “galamseyers” must report to the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of Immigration or their representatives twice a week at the headquarters of the two security agencies.

Motion for variation

But lawyers for the accused have filed a motion of variation of bail conditions on the basis that the accused persons were based in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

Reporting at the headquarters of the police and immigration service, they argued, was making life unbearable for their clients.

They are therefore, praying the court to vary the bail conditions to enable Aisha Huang, Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Ju, Haibin Gao and Zhang Zhipeng to report at the Ashanti Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service.

The motion for the variation of the bail conditions is expected to be moved by the accused legal team on November 27, 2017 at the court, presided over by Mr Justice Abdullai Iddrisu.

Hearing of the substantive trial is, however, expected to continue on January 29, 2018.

Background

Aisha Huang and her compatriots were arraigned on May 9, 2017 for engaging in illegal small-scale mining activities at Bepotenten in the Amansie Central District of 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 sections 59 and 99(2) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and the illegal employment of foreign nationals contrary to section 24 of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).

The other four accused persons were charged with disobedience of directive given by or under the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).

According to the prosecution, Aisha had a mining concession at Bepotenten in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region and also operated a mining support services company.

The four other accused persons, it said, were employed by Aisha to work at the mining site.

The prosecution claims checks at the Minerals Commission, however, revealed that Aisha had no licence to operate either a mine or a mining support services company.

Also, they 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.

Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh