Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame says ‘galamsey’ kingpin Aisha Huang was repatriated from Ghana in 2018.
This is despite police prosecutors telling a Circuit Court that she fled the country, hence terminating her prosecution in 2018.
The Controversy surrounding her departure from the country commenced when President Akufo-Addo cast doubt on whether she was indeed deported.
“I am not still sure whether she was in fact deported or fled the country the first time,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah later clarified that Aisha Huang was repatriated by the Immigration Service.
Court documents filed by state prosecutors, however, told a different story. Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Sarpong indicated that she sneaked out of the country averting her prosecution.
“The first accused Aisha Huang was arrested for a similar offence but managed to sneak out of the country averting prosecution”, DCI Sarpong told an Accra Circuit Court.
Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame on Friday, September 16 filed charges against Miss Huang at an Accra High Court. In recounting her alleged crimes, the AG traced her departure from the country.
“On 19th December 2018, the Attorney-General entered nolle prosequi and terminated the trial. The same day, the Comptroller-General of Ghana Immigration Service revoked her permit to remain in Ghana indefinitely, ordered her immediate repatriation to China and directed her to stay out of Ghana until the Comptroller-General approved her future re-entry into Ghana.
“Consequently, she was put on Ethiopian Airlines Flight No. Et 920, which took off at about 12:50 pm on December 19, 2018, to Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, en route to Guangzhou-China. She sat on seat No. 32 F (Economy Class) and her travel documents were handed over to the captain of the flight to be handed over to her upon her arrival at her final destination, Guangzhou China.”
The Attorney General also insists she was barred indefinitely from entering the country by the Comptroller-General
“Contrary to the direction of the Comptroller-General issued under section 20 (2) of the Immigration Act, 2000, Act 573, State Security Agents received information that she had re-entered Ghana and she was subsequently arrested on 2nd September 2022 in Kumasi. This re-entry was in total defiance of the clear order of the Comptroller-General of 19th December 2018.”
The AG is accusing Aisha Huang of committing four offences. These are undertaking mining without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation contrary to law, illegal employment of foreign nationals and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.
She has pleaded not guilty to all these charges and is to re-appear at the High Court on October 12.
She is meanwhile expected back at the Circuit Court on September 27 where she has been slapped with charges including engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a license and mining without a license.