The prosecution fifth witness (PW5), Timothy Teye Ali, has told an Accra High Court that he, together with three others, were allegedly served Chinese biscuit after a successful sale of land, meant for mining purposes by Eni Huang, properly known as Aisha Huang.
He said this to the court while being cross-examined by Miracle Attachey, Defence Counsel for the embattled Chinese iron lady, Eni Huang aka Aisha Huang.
The witness told the court, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, yesterday, that they were served the Chinese snack after the assessment of the land in question, as well as a down payment of GH¢1,000.00 to each of them.
Mr. Ali also informed the court that after the down payment, he subsequently, received GH¢3,000, GH¢4,000 and GH¢5,000 in 2018, from James Ogbey, an alleged associate of Aisha Huang.
According to him, he was later given GH¢2,000, following several demands for his balance.
Cross examination by Miracle Attachey
Do you know Eliot Awniponyeh?
A. No.
Do you know Nana Prempeh?
A. I have heard the name before, but I don’t know him.
Q. Do you know Edward Koranteng?
A. No.
Q. Do you know a company called Volta Resource Limited?
A. Their signboard is located at Bepotenten, but I don’t know where they are located.
Q. Do you know Nembreso?
A. Yes.
Q. Where is it located?
A. In the Amasie District.
Q. You will agree with me that Nembreso is different from Bepotenten?
A. Yes.
Q. Your alleged land, does it form part of the concession of Volta Resources Limited?
A. I don’t know that.
Q. As we are in court today so you still farm?
A. Yes.
Q. You still farm on your land?
A. I have many lands on which I farm. The particular land in question has [been] destroyed because of the illegal mining activity, so that particular land was not reclaimed to be used for anything.
Q. And this alleged land you claimed cannot be used for farming was mined by the people you sold the land to?
A. Before I sold the land to Aisha, there were cocoa and fruit trees in the land. After they mined the land they were destroyed.
Q. You know James Ogbey?
A. Yes.
Q. You have dealt with him personally. Is that not it?
A. It was during the purchase of the land for Aisha that James Ogbey contacted me.
Q. So at all material times, regarding the purchase of your land, you have dealt with James Ogbey?
A. During the purchase of the land for Aisha, James Ogbey contacted me that Aisha was interested in purchasing our land for mining purposes, so I informed our relatives. We all agreed to sell the land. We decided to visit the land, and when we got to the site, we asked where was Aisha who wanted to buy the land, because he works with Aisha.
So he told us that Aisha is on her way coming and that we should continue with the measurements. We measure the land and priced it because they usually give us the price at which they want to purchase the land. We got four acres, and they told us the price. Immediately after the negotiations, Aisha came to the farm. On her arrival, she asked us to go to her site in her car.
When we got to the site, she asked us to wait for her and she gave money to Mr. Ogbey to be given to us.
On that day, there were four of us whose lands were measured, and each person was given GH¢1,000.
After we were finished, she gave us Chinese biscuits and we shared it among ourselves, after which, she took us in her vehicle and brought us to Sukumu. From there, I went home.
Q. Do you have any document of your sale of the land to the accused before this honourable court?
A. We were not given any receipt. However, we wrote some amount on some pieces of papers, which were given to us. Usually, when they measure a land and price it, they pay us on the spot. But this time around, they did not do that, so she wrote the amount on a paper and gave it to us.
Q. Do you want the court to believe that this is a usual business you do of selling your lands for mining?
A. No, my Lady. That is not my usual work. They approached me to buy my land.
Q. In page 20 of your witness statement…you were paid…by James Ogeby. Is that not so?
A. Yes my Lady. It is so. However, he informed us that Aisha gave him the money to be given to us.
Q. You later in 2021 received an additional sum of GH¢2,000 from Ogbey?
A. Yes. When we heard that Aisha had been arrested we contacted James Ogbey as to how we can get the balance of our money, and he told us that Aisha had a lot of properties, so he will sell some to pay us. Subsequently, he sold an excavator belonging to Aisha and from that he gave me GH¢2,000.
Q. I put it to you that the excavator you claim belonged to the accused person actually belonged to James Ogbey; that was why he was able to sell it to pay the debt he owed you?
A. My Lady, that is not true. We all lived in the same community, and we all knew that James Ogbey worked for Aisha, so the excavator that James sold belonged to Aisha.
Q. I put it to you further that James Ogbey does not work for Aisha?
A. That is not true.
Q. Based on the fact that James Ogbey owes you, you reported him to the Jacobo police?
A. My Lady, I did not report James alone, I reported him and Aisha at a time he was the one representing Aisha.
Q. You can speak and write English, right?
A. I can speak and read a bit.
Q. I put it to you that the accused person never met you to discuss the purchase of your land?
A. That is not true. We were in the process of discussing settlement on some plot for mines with Aisha herself and James Ogbey. We did not conclude in that, because of her arrest. Indeed, I had discussions with Aisha herself.
Q. I put it to you that this claim that you had discussions with the accused is an afterthought, as there was no documentation of the alleged sales.
A. The usual tactic is that immediately they buy your land they pay you on the spot, so we don’t demand any receipt or any document over the transaction. How we, this one sure did not pay us in full, that was why she gave us a week to pay us, and those amounts were written on those pieces of paper.
Q. I put it to you further that this statement is an afterthought, and the accused never promised you any payment for the sale of your land?
A. Counsel was not there when we did the transaction.
Q. I was not there for the alleged transaction, so I cannot tell if you are telling an untruth to this court?
A. I will not agree with you, because I am testifying in court under oath, so I cannot tell an untruth to the court.
Q. Per page16 and 17 of your witness statement, you will agree with me that you never saw the accused person mine on your land?
A. Respectfully, I sold the land to Aisha, and when they started the mining activity on the land, I went there and I saw Aisha herself there.
Q. I put it to you that the accused person never mined on your land?
A. That is not true, because I met Aisha herself on site several times.
Q. What was she doing when you allegedly met her?
A. The accused person herself was not operating any machine, but she was directing her workers as to what to do.
Q. What happened to your report to the Jacobo police against James Ogbey?
A. ….
Q. What about your court case against him?
A. James and the accuse person bought my land, for which they have not paid, so I took them to court.
Q. What was the outcome of that case?
A. The case is still in court.
Q. I put it to you that you have dealt with James Ogbey over the purchase of your land, for which he constantly made payments to you, even as late as 2021?
A. James acted together with the accuse person, that is why all payments that were made were from Aisha to me, though James signet. But when Aisha traveled James had to sell the excavator that 2,000 in 2021, and because they still owe me that was why I took the matter to court.
Q. I put it to you that you have not been a truthful witness?
A. Before God; before the revered presence of my Lady; I have been truthful to the court. If they had not bought my land, why would I travel this long distance to come and testify? Indeed, my Lady, I had been truthful.
