An Accra Circuit Court presided over by Bright Acquah today (Sept 14) denied bail to En Huang, aka Aisha Huang, who has been arraigned for engaging in illegal mining.
That was after En Huang had pleaded not guilty to the charge of engaging in sale of minerals without license, and mining without license.
The proceedings today (Sept 14) was not without drama as one of the accused persons, charged alongside En Huang, Jong Li Hua, collapsed in the course of the hearing.
En “Aisha” Huang was arrested through a National Security operation after she reportedly ‘sneaked’ into the country to again undertake the illegal mining activity.
Aisha is currently facing criminal charges with three others at an Accra Circuit Court.
The other accused persons, all Chinese nationals, are Jong Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huiad Hiahu.
The three have also pleaded not guilty to the sale of mining equipment without license
Bail application
Counsel for the accused, Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, in his bail application described the charges as minor and wondered why after 14 days of Aisha’s remand, the police had not been able to complete its thorough investigations.
According to him, the the media had placed too much emphasis on what he described as “a small case”.
He added that his clients had people of good substance to stand as sureties for them.
Bail opposed
Chief Inspector Frederick Sarpong, opposed the bail application on grounds that if granted bail, the accused persons would hamper investigations.
“As Aisha stands here she cannot tell the court how she got into the country,” the prosecutor added.
He clarified that the accused were charged with criminal offences and not merely before the court by virtue of their nationality or colour.
He prayed the court to remand the accused persons into police custody assuring the court that counsels will have access to them anytime they wish to.
Ruling
In his ruling, the judge said the “accused may not appear to stand trial and may interfere with evidence and hamper trial”
The judge subsequently remanded the accused persons to police custody.
The suspects are to re-appear before the court on September 27, 2022.
Facts
The prosecutor, Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Sarpong, told the court that Aisha had previously escaped prosecution in Accra when she was arrested.
According to him, Aisha returned to China and changed her identity, only to come back to Ghana to commit the same crime for which she had escaped prosecution earlier.
Togo visa
Inspector Sarpong said the accused person applied for a Togolese visa and entered Ghana through its border with Togo and back to the galamsey business in a town in the Ashanti Region.
The three others with her, according to the prosecutor, sold mining equipment and dealt in gold in Accra, without a valid licence.
They were arrested upon intelligence by the National Security.