An Accra High Court has rejected application for bail for Chinese National, Aisha Huang, who is facing prosecution for her involvement in illegal mining activities (galamsey) in Ghana.
Presiding Judge, Lydia Osei Marfo on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 refused the plea of her lawyer, Nkrabea Effah Dartey on the grounds that she remains a flight risk and keeping her in Police custody will facilitate ongoing investigations.
Aisha Huang who is before Court for mining without a license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals is facing four other charges including undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreign nationals, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.
She has since been remanded into Police custody to re-appear on October 24.
In a related development, four other accused, three Chinese nationals, Shi Yang alias Philip, Li Wei Guo, Shi Mei Zhi and a Vietnam national also been to reappear in court on November 1, 2022.
The 3 Chinese nationals –are on a provisional charge of engaging in small scale-mining without a licence, contrary to section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Act 995 of 2019.
The Vietnam national; Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, is however facing prosecution for over staying in Ghana after the expiration of a permit contrary to sections 20(1) and 52(1)(d) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).
In separate hearings, the Judge heard the pleas of the 3 Chinese nationals but deferred that of the Vietnamese; Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen over difficulty understanding both Chinese and English languages through which she was communicated.
