I have facts on Aisha Huang’s involvement in mining – Witness

A Senior Officer of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) says he has facts on En Huang, aka Aisha Huang’s involvement in mining at Bepotenten in the Ashanti Region.

Answering questions under cross-examination, Superintendent of Immigration, David Essien, told an Accra High Court that he had information on the alleged illegal miner’s involvement in mining when he obtained two statements from her.

Supt. Essien said in the two statements, Aisha had allegedly indicated that she “rents” excavator machines to Egyiri Mining Company, which had mining concessions at Bepotenten.

At the trial of Aisha Huang at an Accra High Court, the second prosecution witness said information obtained from one Austen Ahenkan Egyiri, a Director of Egyiri Mining Company, also indicated Aisha’s involvement in mining.

The witness said Mr Ahenkan Egyiri in his caution statement taken on May 9, 2017, indicated that, Aisha used to mine on a concession that shared boundaries with the Company’s small scale mining concession.

The witness told the court Mr Egyiri Ahenkan also indicated that he had known Aisha for the past three years.

According to the witness, Mr Ahenkan Egyiri also stated that his Company had not entered into any agreement of renting excavator machines.

Rather, the witness said Mr Ahenkan Egyiri indicated that Aisha’s mother who was also a director of the Company, leased three acres of their concession to the accused to mine, but Aisha had failed to pay them as promised.

The witness told the court that an employee of Aisha, known as Gao Jun Chen, also told arresting officers of the Ghana Immigrations Service that they were mining for Aisha, and that they had their passports with her.

He said when Aisha was invited by GIS, Kumasi office, Aisha allegedly produced two out of four of her employees’ passports.

The second prosecution witness told the court that Aisha could speak fluent English and Twi Languages and same were evident when she offered statements to the GIS in Kumasi.

“These pieces of information and evidence indicate that the accused person was involved in illegal activities and that was why she faced trial in 2018. We did not tell Aisha that the statement she provided would be used in court.”

The witness disagreed with Aisha’s Counsel Captain Retired Nkrabeah Effah Dartey on his assertion that he (witness) was not a “truthful witness”.

Counsel: I suggest to you that you have come to “Butcher” the accused person with series of inconsistencies.

Witness: That is not true. I am only here to give evidence of what happened during my encounter with the accused person as an enforcement Officer in Kumasi.

Counsel: Are you an investigator or an enforcement officer?

Witness: I am an investigator under the Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Immigration Service.

Counsel: Did you investigate the allegations made by Mr Egyiri Ahenkan about Aisha?

Witness: A report was sent to our headquarters in Accra and I believe they will follow up since I have now been transferred.

Counsel: Are you telling the court that the GIS took three years to investigate the marital status of Aisha?

Witness: It is true that the service took three years to investigate and came out with the revocation of her residence permit. That, notwithstanding, GIS was able to detect her crime… The officer who undertook the investigations in Accra (headquarters) would come to this court and give further clarification on this matter.

Hearing has been adjourned to November 16.

Aisha is standing trial for undertaking mining operations at Bepotenten without license and facilitating the participation of persons engaged in illegal mining.

The State is holding her on the charge of illegal employment of foreign nationals and entering Ghana while she had been prohibited from re-entry.

She had denied the charges and remanded into lawful custody by the court presided over by Mrs Justice Lydia Osei-Marfo.

Source: GNA