Climate Change & Energy
BREAKING NEWS: Galamsey queen Aisha Huang jailed four years
Source: Asaase Radio - December 4, 2023
Galamsey queen En Huang, aka Aisha Huang
Galamsey queen En Huang, aka Aisha Huang, has been convicted of all charges leveled against her by the state and has been slapped with a four-year jail term by an Accra high court on Monday (4 December).
Her lawyers are asking for her to be fined and also to be deported, considering the fact that she has been in prison custody the last one year and two months throughout her trial, reports Asaase News’s head of legal and political desk Wilberforce Asare.
She was also fined by the court to the tune of GH¢48, 000.
The Judge after considering the case of the prosecution and defence, found the accused guilty. The accused was previously let go on similar charges.
But the judge could only impose a four-year sentence because the law for which she was being prosecuted on was the old legal regime which had five years as the highest sentence.
Aisha Huang is standing trial for undertaking illegal mining operations without licence, facilitating the participation of persons in illegal mining unlawfully and re-entering Ghana after her deportation.
Aisha has denied the charges and is in prison custody.
The case of the State is that the complainants are security and intelligence officers.
The prosecution said Aisha had gained “notoriety” for engaging in series of small-scale mining activities known as ‘galamsey’ across the country.
It said in the year 2017, Aisha was arrested for a similar offence, but she managed to sneak out of the country, averting prosecution and had allegedly commenced small scale mining activities without license after she re-entered the country.
The Chinese national was charged with four counts, first “undertaking a mining operation without a licence contrary to section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, Act 703 as amended by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act 2019, Act 995”.
The second charge, “facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation contrary to section 99 (2)(a) & (3) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, Act 703 as amended by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, (2019), Act 995”.
The third count, according to the charge sheet was “illegal employment of foreign nationals contrary to section 24 of the Immigration Act, (2000), Act 573”.
The last charge is “entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry contrary to section 20(4) of the Immigration Act, (2000), Act 573.
Citizen not Spectator
December 4, 2023
Patrick Japheth Danso Atronsu
December 4, 2023
Citizen not Spectator
December 4, 2023