Aisha Huang, the Chinese galamsey kingpin, whose deportation without trial sparked a row in the country has boldly returned to Ghana and doing her usual business in the Ashanti Region. This time, however, she is operating under a new name, Huang Rei Ruixia.
Known in the media landscape as “galamsey queen” due to her notoriety for illegal mining, the now Huang Rei Ruixia had been re-arrested by the National Security, in connection with a similar alleged crime that led to her expatriation to China, somewhere in 2019.
It was revealed that Aisha Huang allegedly sneaked into the country through neighbouring Togo. Thus, she changed details of her Chinese passport and applied for a Togo visa in order to gain access into the country.
Intelligence led to her re-arrest at a small town in the Ashanti region, where she has resumed illegal small-scale mining operation without a license and further engaged in the purchase and sale of minerals in Accra without valid authority, as granted by the Minerals and Mining Act.
Aisha Huang, alias Huang Rei Ruixia, was arraigned before the Accra Circuit ‘9’, presided over by His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah on Friday, September 2, 2022 under the following charges; engaging in the sales and purchases of minerals without license and mining without license.
However, the court did not take her plea, for the reason that there was no translator to interpret the charges to Aisha Huang in Chinese language. The court has remanded her into lawful police custody to reappear on September 14, 2022.
In a related development, the court has remanded three others – Johng Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huaid Hai Hun – who were alleged accomplices of the “galamsey kingpin.”
The accused persons have all pleaded not guilty to the count of engaging in the sales and purchases of minerals without license. The three had been remanded into a lawful custody to reappear together with Aisha Huang.
Brief facts presented to the court by the prosecuting officer, Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Sarpong yesterday, indicated that Aisha’s alleged accomplices were arrested for dealing in minerals in Accra without valid license.
The facts as narrated in court are that, the complainants are security and intelligence officers and the accused persons, Chinese nationals.
DC/Insp Sarpong said Aisha had gained “notoriety” for engaging in a series of small-scale mining activities known as galamsey across the country.
He narrated that in 2017, Aisha was arrested for a similar offence, but she managed to “sneak out” of the country to avert prosecution.
The prosecution said early this year, Aisha “sneaked” back into Ghana, having changed the details on her Chinese passport.
According to him, Aisha resumed small-scale mining activities without a license and further engaged in the purchase and sale of minerals in Accra, without valid authority, as granted by the Minerals and Mining Act.
The police prosecutor added that she engaged in the sale and purchase of minerals with the three accused persons and that intelligence led to their arrest.
