‘Aisha’ Huang’s Ghana Card details and how she renewed it after sneaking into Ghana

Following her arrest after she reportedly sneaked into Ghana to again engage in illegal mining activities, more details are emerging about the Chinese national, En "Aisha" Huang.

She was deported to her home country, China, in 2018. 

Related: Aisha Huang and four other Chinese illegal miners deported

It has emerged that after she sneaked into Ghana, she successfully renewed a NON-CITIZEN IDENTIY Ghana Card which, has a validity date of February 27, 2022 to February 26, 2022.

Details on the card, labeled as a Non Citizen Identity Card has the date of issue as February 27, 2022 and expected to expire on February 26, 2023.

It has her name as En Huang on it and it was found in her possession when she was arrested, Graphic Online has gathered.

Non Ghanaian citizens resident in Ghana for over 90 days are able to obtain NON CITIZEN IDENTITY Ghana Cards pursuant to obtaining a resident permit by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

She was deported from Ghana to China in 2018 after she was linked to a series of illegal mining activities in the Ashanti Region.

By that, she escaped prosecution for the alleged illegal mining activities she was earlier arrested for.

It has emerged this week that she is back in Ghana, allegedly obtaining a Togolese visa to fly into Togo, and then sneaked into Ghana under a different name - Huang Ruixia.

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has confirmed that the valid "NON-CITIZEN IDENTITY CARD" (Ghana Card) in possession of En "Aisha" Huang is authentic.

She did her first application and registration in 2014 at the Foreigner Identification Management System (FIMS) registration centre at Nhyiaeso, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region. Her biometrics were captured and she was issued with a Non-citizen Ghana Card.

She subsequently did two more renewals on August 31, 2016 and January 8, 2018, using the same details and Chinese passport number G39575625 with the name En Huang.

But even though, she was deemed to be a deportee, she reportedly sneaked into the country and successfully renewed the card with the new validity date on it as February 27, 2022 to February 26, 2023.

However, according to the NIA, the renewal was done on August 25, 2022 in Tamale.

According to the NIA, on August 25, 2022, she visited an NIA Registration centre in Tamale in the Northern Region and renewed that "Non-Citizen Ghana Card".

But that according to the NIA, was not without an incident as she had tried to register as a fresh applicant with the name RUIXIA HUANG.

Related: Aisha Huang sneaks into Ghana, arrested again for illegal mining

What happened in En "Aisha" Huang's case?

In a press statement dated September 6, 2022, signed and issued by its Acting Head of Corporate Affairs, Abudu-Abdul Ganiyu, the NIA explained that, "on 25th August 2022 at 10:35 am, an incident occurred at the FIMS Registration Centre in Tamale, Northern Region, involving a Chinese national who visited the centre as a first-time applicant with the following details: Forename: RUIXIA, Surname: HUANG, Date of Birth: 07-Nov-75, Passport Number: EJ5891162.

"The registration, however, went into a technical state known as ‘RejectedDueAFIS’, which meant that the biometrics of RUIXIA HUANG possibly matched that of an already existing person in the NIS database," the NIA explained. 

"The registration officer therefore sent a request to the technical support team for further investigations. This revealed that, based on the biometrics provided, “RUIXIA HUANG” had previously registered as EN HUANG in the FIMS record under the NIS database."

"When confronted by the registration officer with this information, she claimed to have changed her name. As per NIA’s normal registration process, EN HUANG was asked to provide an official certified affidavit and a gazette as required by law to support the change of name if the details in the passport with number EJ5891162 were to be used to update her old records."

The NIA explained further that EN HUANG was then given the option of waiting to bring in the required documents before her details could be updated or renewing her old registration with her Personal ID Number CHN-010039480-J, without any change in details.

She opted to renew with the old details and then go through the affidavit and gazette process after which she would then provide the documents for the update to be done.

Her renewed Non-Citizen Ghana Card was then issued to her on 25th August 2022, bearing the details, Forename: EN Surname: HUANG, Date of Birth: 07-Jul-86 Personal ID Number: CHN-010039480-J. This card is what is now impugned and trending on social media (Images attached), the NIA added in the explanation.

Non-Citizen Identity Card [Ghana Card]

Since 2012, the law has required all foreigners permanently resident in Ghana (i.e., for 90 days or longer), who are not diplomats or representatives of international non-governmental organisations, to register for and acquire the national identity card of Ghana.

The card issued to such qualified foreigners is the "NON-CITIZEN IDENTITY CARD" and is so captioned in red lettering above the card holder's personal details. This distinguishing information in red does not appear on the Ghana Card meant for Ghanaian citizens. 

The qualified foreign applicants pay a statutory fee of US$120.00 for the Non-Citizen Identity Card which is valid for one year and is renewable every year at a fee of US$60.00.

The NIA went further, "It must be emphasized that possession of the Non-Citizen Ghana Card does not confer or amount to having Ghanaian citizenship.

"The NIA’s verification system functioned as designed to enable NIA prevent HUANG EN from registering under a new name and date of birth for a new Non-Citizen Ghana Card, despite her being in possession of two Chinese passports.

"The matter is being investigated by the security agencies. The NIA wishes to assure the general public that its technical system remains robust, and it will continue to jealously guard the boundaries of Ghanaian citizenship and prevent unqualified foreigners from obtaining the Ghana Card meant for Ghanaian citizens." 

Court 

Last week, she was arraigned at an Accra Circuit Court with three others for allegedly engaging in illegal mining in Ghana.

The accused persons were charged for engaging in sale and purchase of minerals without a licence.

The other three are Jong Li Hua; Huang Jei and Huiad Hiahu, all Chinese nationals.

En "Aisha" Huang is facing an additional charge of engaging in mining without a licence.

She was arraigned last Friday [September 2, 2022] and her plea to the charges are yet to be taken by the court presided over by Bright Acquah since the court had no Chinese interpreter at the time.

They have all been remanded in police custody.

Monday’s Proceedings

While the three other suspects were arraigned Monday, September 5, 2022, Aisha Huang was absent, reports Graphic Online's Justice Agbenorsi who was in the courtroom.

They have all pleaded not guilty to the charge and have been remanded into custody to reappear on September 14, 2022.

Prosecution’s facts

According to the facts presented by the prosecutor, Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Sarpong, Aisha Huang had previously escaped prosecution in Accra when she was arrested.

According to the prosecutor, she returned to her country [China] and changed her identity only to come back to Ghana to commit the same crime of which she escaped prosecution earlier.

According to the prosecution, the suspect applied for a Togo visa and went through the borders into Ghana and back to the galamsey business in a town in the Ashanti Region.

The three others with her, according to the prosecutor, were selling mining equipment and dealing in gold without a valid licence in Accra.

They were arrested upon intelligence by National Security officials.

They are expected to re-appear before the court on September 14,2022.

Background

Related: Aisha Huang and four other Chinese illegal miners deported

The Chinese illegal mining "queen," was deported in December 2018.

That followed the filing of a nolle prosequi to discontinue the trial by state prosecutors.

Throwback: Galamsey: State no longer interested in Aisha Huang case

She had been 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, and 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).

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General has called for the new docket regarding offences En Huang, the Chinese "galamsey queen" popularly known as Aisha Huang is said to have recently committed.

Read also: A-G to re-initiate Aisha Huang's prosecution

Graphic Online gathers that the Attorney-General intends to re-initiate prosecution in respect of the old offences for which she was standing trial before her deportation in 2018.

This means the Attorney-General intends to pursue a full prosecution in respect of the old offences for which she was standing trial before her deportation in 2018.

Related: NDC will extradite Aisha Huang to Ghana for prosecution - Ablakwa

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh 

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