Aisha Huang and others contradicts their counsel

By Joyce Danso, GNA

Accra, Feb. 26, GNA – Aisha Huang and four other Chinese nationals who are being tried for engaging in illegal mining on Monday contradicted their lawyer Captain (Retired) Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey over the production of a medical report.

The court at the last sitting ordered Gao Jin Cheng, one of the accused persons who failed to appear in court because he had been taken ill to furnish the court with his medical report.

When sitting resumed, Capt (Rtd) Effah-Dartey told the court that Cheng could not provide the court with his medical records because, he did not attend a government hospital.

According to Defence Counsel, his client rather sought medical attention in a Chinese related medical centre so they could not file same before the court.

“My Lord this is the reality and the truth. I do not want to manufacture anything,” Defence counsel submitted.

The trial judge then quizzed: So are you saying that government does not recognise the medical facility?

Defence Counsel: I told them to the need to get a medical report.

However, soon after the court had recorded that Cheng had not complied with the order of the court and it therefore had no medical report to explain his absence in court, Aisha produced the medical report to the court thereby contradicting what Defence Counsel had earlier told the court.

Continuing with his cross examination Mr Eugene Ruben Aborabora, Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) said he received intelligence that some expatriates and Africans were engaged in illegal mining at Bepotenten, Near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.

He said on reaching the site on May 5, last year, the expatriates and the Africans were using four excavators and generators for their mining operations.

ASI Aborabora admitted that he did not see Aisha operating any excavator.

According to ASI Aborabora, on the day of the incident, one of his men known as Justice Ato Bondzie saw and arrested Habin Gao who was operating one of the excavators while Zang Pan stood under an umbrella observing the mining activities.

According to the first prosecution witness Lu Qi Jun was arrested in a wooden structure where he was engaged in cooking.

When Defence Counsel enquired, whether cooking was an offence or not, the witness replied in the negative.

The witness admitted that all the four Chinese men arrested told them that they were working with Aisha.

Assistant Inspector of Immigration Ernest Gyan a second prosecution witness, who was led to give his evidence by Ms Mercy Arthur, a state Attorney told the court that seven men from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) went to Bepotenten.

The second witness who was part of the GIS Enforcement Unit tendered a Compact Disc (CD) which captured the activities of the accused at Bepotenten.

Soon after the CD was tendered in evidence same was played twice in court.

Answering questions under cross –examination the second prosecution witness admitted they went on operations based on what their superior had told them and their mind set was to arrest expatriates who were working despite a ban on illegal mining.

Aisha Huang and her four accomplices namely: Gao Jin Cheng, 45; Lu Qi Jun 39; Habin Gao 26; and Zang Pan 23 have been accused of engaging in illegal mining in the Ashanti Region.

Aisha aka Yaa Asantewaa has additionally been accused of providing mine support services without valid licence from the Minerals Commission.

The five who have pleaded not guilty are on GH¢ 500,000.00 bail each.

Each surety is to be justified.

Hearing continues on March 14.

GNA

Read Full Story