The most famous Chinese woman in Ghana for all the wrong reasons, En Huang, alias Ashia Huang, says she does not know how to drive and cannot, therefore, operate an excavator.
According to her, it is not also true that she and her company were engaged in mining or provided mining support services.
En Huang stated this in her witness statement, which was read in English and translated into Mandarin, during the opening of her defence yesterday.
She told the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, that the allegation that she was engaged in illegal mining was not true.
According to her, the publication tendered in evidence that she and company (Super market) were involved in illegal mining was nothing but a ploy by the witnesses to play into a narrative, which had been planted in the media by the same people.
She said she operated a Supermarket, popularly known as Aisha Supermarket, at Ahodwo in Kumasi, a predominantly Chinese customer base, between 2013 and 2018.
En Huang contended that it is also not true that the four Chinese nationals – Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibi Gao and Zhang Zhipeng – arrested at Bepotenten were her employees or worked under her instructions.
She further contended that “neither do the excavators or the mining site they were allegedly arrested on belong to me or my company.”
She explained that she only followed up on them, upon hearing of their arrest, and it was simply because they share the same nationality.
However, she added that “the passports I kept for Haibin Gao and Zhan Zhipeng were only to assist them at the Regional Immigration Office with the renewal of their stay in the country, which had expired at the time. I did not have or kept the passports of Gao Jin Cheng and Lu Qi Jun.”
The accused further stated that because most of the Chinese nationals who visit Kumasi and its environs don’t speak and understand English and Twi, she often become their point of reference and for the same reason that the four Chinese nationals came into contact with her.
In that regard, when she heard they have been arrested, she followed up to confirm the arrest and find out of what assistance she could offer, but by the time he got to the Regional Immigration office, the arrest team had not arrived so she left their office and told them to call her when the team arrives, since they already have her contact.
The accused added that she does not know and have not been to any of the sites captured in the videos, pictures and maps tendered in evidence by the prosecution witnesses.
She, therefore, urged the court to acquit and discharge her, as the facts before it are not true.
The case has been adjourned to July 17, 2022.
