A former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Chairman for New Juaben North has lashed out at former National Chairman, Freddie Blay, for representing four of Aisha Huang’s accomplices on trial for engaging in illegal mining aka galamsey.
A disappointed Kwadwo Boateng-Agyemang said the lack of discretion on the part of Mr Blay makes a mockery of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s fight against galamsey.
The immediate past NPP Chairman has been trending on social media for what many have described as unpopular decision to defend the four Chinese nationals linked to galamsey queen, Aisha Huang.
This was after Lucy Ekeleba Blay, a private legal practitioner announced in court that she was holding brief for Freddie Blay in the case of the four accomplices of Aisha Huang, namely; Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibin Go and Zhang Zhipeng.
Most of them are surprised to see NPP stalwarts defend persons who have been accused of illegal mining whilst their government has pledged commitment to fighting against ‘galamsey’.
Reacting to this, Mr Boateng-Agyemang on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Wednesday said Mr Blay’s conduct has given credence to claims by the opposition that government is behind galamsey.
He explained that, because some government officials have already been accused of engaging in illegal mining with Aisha Huang, Mr Blay’s defence of the accused persons sends a wrong signal about government’s commitment to end the menace.
The former NPP New Juaben North Chairman said he [Blay] should have allowed his conscience to guide him and not money to cloud his judgement.
“Money should not be the only consideration as a lawyer; Freddie Blay should have known better. I’m very disappointed,” he fumed.
Mr Boateng-Agyemang called on the former NPP Chairman to render unqualified apology to Ghanaians and withdraw from the case.
Meanwhile, both Aisha Huang and her accomplices have been remanded into custody until November 24, 2022.
The Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, indicated to the court the readiness of the state to expeditiously dispose of the case and will be willing to prosecute the case on a day-after-day basis.