The Attorney General’s office has indicated that it intends to initiate an appeal process at the Court of Appeal in a bid to seek a harsher sentence for jailed Chinese illegal miner, Aisha Huang.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.12.5.
According to the AG, the intended appeal process aims to test the appropriateness of the trial judge’s decision to sentence Aisha Huang, under the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2015 (Act 900).
The statement said that the AG would like the appeals court to punish the convict under the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995), which imposes stiffer punishments of over 20 years minimum for the crime she committed.
“Whilst applauding the efficiency of the justice delivery system witnessed in the trial of Aisha Huang, the Attorney General will however test the soundness of the decision of the trial court to punish the accused person under Act 900, by filing an appeal at the Court of Appeal, against the sentence to ensure that the new sentencing regime imposed by Act 995 is applied to the accused person,” the AG’s statement read in part.
On Monday, December 4, 2023, Aisha Huang was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for mining without a licence. She was also fined GH¢48,000 by the court.
The sentencing sparked numerous angry reactions, with Ghanaians saying the punishment meted out to her was not commensurate with the gravity of the crime she committed.
Below is the AG's statement:
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