Defence counsel for En Huang alias Aisha Huang, Captain Nkrabeah Effah Dartey (rtd), has been given ten days by an Accra Circuit Court to submit a written bail application for consideration.
The Chinese national, who can also be identified as Huang Rei Ruixa, had allegedly gained notoriety as an illegal mining (galamseyer) kingpin in Ghana’s application for bail would be considered together with that of her daughter, Johng Li Hua, a supposed boyfriend of Li Huang Jei and another, Huaid Hia Hun.
The order by the Magistrate, Samuel Bright Acquah, follows a written bail application by Hua, Jei, and Hun’s counsel and a response from the Office of the Attorney-General (A-G) to oppose the bail.
Mr. Bright Acquah, in addressing the prosecution and defence counsel, said he was not abreast with the response from the A-G, since it was filed on Thursday, November 10, and served to the court the next day, Friday, November 11, when he was sitting on other cases.
Considering the circumstances, he urged Mr. Dartey, who earlier made an oral motion for bail, to also submit a written application before November 22, 2022.
Nonetheless, Capt Dartey (rtd) hit hard at the Attorney General, saying, “this [is] a remembrance day that the Attorney General has sent a lawyer again innocently to tell the court, investigations are still ongoing…
“My lord, the constitution is very clear, if you are not ready, don’t arrest anybody. You cannot keep these foreigners for three months and say investigations are ongoing.
Background
Aisha Huang, 47, and the three others had appeared before the court at least seven times since September 8, 14, and 27, October 12 and 27, and November 1, and 11.
The three have pleaded not guilty to engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a valid licence, and mining without licence.
Aisha was alleged to have engaged in the sale and purchase of minerals without a valid licence between February and August this year.
And on August of 2022, the accused persons at the Amansie West District allegedly undertook small-scale mining operations without licence.
The brief facts
The brief facts presented to the court by the prosecutor indicated that the complainants, in this case, were Security and Intelligence officers based in Accra. At the same time, all the accused persons were Chinese nationals who had gained notoriety for engaging in a series of small-scale mining activities, known as “galamsey”, across the country.
He said, in 2017, Aisha Huang was arrested for a similar offence but managed to sneak out of the country, averting prosecution.
Unfortunately, he added, during the early part of this year, Aisha Huang sneaked back into the country after having changed the details of her Chinese passport.
DC/Ins Sarpong added that Aisha Huang again resumed illegal small-scale mining activities without a license, and together with the other accused persons, engaged in the purchases and sale of minerals in Accra without a valid authority granted, as required by the Minerals and Mining Act.
He stated that Johng Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huaid Hai Hun were also into the sale of equipment used in illegal mining activities.
The prosecuting officer narrated to the court that the accused persons were arrested upon intelligence gathered by intelligent officers.
