Circuit Court Judge, Samuel Bright Acquah, has refused a bail application by the lead counsel for galamsey queen, Aisha Huang.
According to him, the illegal mining activity perpetrated by Aisha Huang and her accomplices does not augur well for the country’s water bodies. He indicated that the future of the nation is under threat, as such, the accused will remain in police custody as investigations continue.
“Look at how it is destroying our forest. We the humans are complaining, the animals in the forest are suffering, it’s very sad. If we should allow this to go on, Ghana Water says they will soon shut down their machines. We will have to import water to drink. The courts and everyone must take a strong stance. Aisha Huang especially, how she entered the country, she can’t even tell. If I grant bail, and tomorrow the case is called and she can’t be found. What happens? The motion for bail is refused.”
Samuel Bright Acquah
The four accused persons in the dock – En Huang, Jong Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huiad Hiahu, are facing the charge of engaging in sale of minerals without licence and mining without licence. The accused persons, have pleaded not guilty.
Lead Counsel for the accused, Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, made a second application for bail. He questioned the work done by investigators, insisting they have not been fair to the accused persons.
“Where is the evidence? Why should this take more than one month? The element of they being foreigners should weigh on your mind. Ghanaians are all over the world. I am pleading with you, to admit them to court bail. We will satisfy the conditions.”
Nkrabeah Effah Dartey
Court petitioned to grant Aisha Huang bail
Owing to what he reckoned as insufficient evidence, Mr Dartey urged the Judge to grant bail to the accused as no one can question him should he do so.
“His Excellency the President, the Attorney General cannot say anything if you grant them bail. You can perfectly do that. They are keeping the accused persons in total incommunicado. Going to BNI is like attacking a virgin’s home.”
Nkrabeah Effah Dartey
Prosecutors, on the other hand, opposed the request, insisting the facts presented to the court so far, made a compelling case for the refusal of bail.
“Fact is that these persons are charged, investigations show they entered this country illegally. That is enough to draw a conclusion that they have no fixed place of abode let alone gainfully employed… They are remanded as we continue with investigations.”
Prosecutor
The prosecutors noted that although the accused persons deserve justice, the laws of the land which have been “desecrated” also deserve justice.
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to October 12, 2022.
It will be recalled that on September 16, 2022, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, filed fresh charges against Aisha Huang at the Accra High Court.
In the new charge sheet before the High Court, Huang has been slapped with four counts of undertaking a mining operation without a licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreign nationals, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.
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