Aisha Huang speaks fluent Twi and English – Immigration boss reveals

Aisha Huang, the Chinese national who is standing trial for illegal entry into Ghana and engagement in illegal mining activities (galamsey) speaks fluent Twi and English, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has disclosed.

David Essien, Superintendent of Immigration told the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court on Monday, November 14 that the GIS did not think it necessary to get the woman who has come to be known popularly as the galamsey kingpin, an interpreter in 2016 and 2017 when his outfit interviewed her.

“When I was taking the statements there was no interpreter. Before that, I am the same person that delivered the invitation letter to the accused (Aisha Huang). And on the point of delivery, I had a one-on-one interaction with the accused and we spoke in English.

“My Lord, when she honoured the invitation, during the interview, we spoke in English and she responded in English and my lord she was very fluent in English. She even speaks fluent Twi. So my lord, at the point we were taking the statement, she didn’t give us any indication that she needed an interpreter. So, she understood all the information and appended her signature,” Starrfm.com.gh quotes Superintendent Essien to have said.

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He was responding to questions from Defence lawyers led by Captain Nkrabea Effah Dartey during Cross-Examination.

Before this revelation, Aisha Huang, through an interpreter had told the trial Judge, Justice Lydia Marfo that she could not read English and that she didn’t understand what was written in the court documents.

Responding to why it took his outfit three whole years to investigate and revoke Aisha Huang’s indefinite permission to stay in the country by the Comptroller General of the GIS after it emerged that she obtained the permission using forged documents, Superintendent Essien said it is not out of place.

“You will bear with me that depending on the level of the case, investigations can take an hour, days years or decades for crimes to be detected.”

Aisha Huang and other Chinese accomplices are being prosecuted for among other crimes, entering Ghana through illegal means and undertaking mining-related activities without requisite legal authorization.

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