Nkrabea Effah Dartey, the lawyer for galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang, has accused the media of “overhyping” the case involving the Chinese national.
He views the matter in court as a “small matter” and is surprised at the attention the media has given it.
“My worry is that the media has overhyped this small matter of mining without a license and doing mineral sales without license. It’s a small matter, it happens every day in Ghana. So I don’t see why the media should even write an editorial on this matter”.
“And it is that which is creating the problem and giving all manner of insecurity to the issue,” Aisha Huang’s lawyer told the media after court proceedings today, September 14, 2022.
Aisha Huang and three others were denied bail after the court hearing on Wednesday.
She is standing trial with three other Chinese nationals; Jong Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huaid Hai Hun.
They have all been charged with mining without a valid license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a permit.
Since Aisha Huang was arrested earlier in September, there has been controversy about how she left Ghana and how she ended back in the country.
The initial reporting on the case was that she had been deported in 2018 after filing a nolle prosequi to discontinue an earlier case against her.
But North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, claimed Aisha Huang was not escorted during her “supposed deportation” as was required.
In the days after Mr. Ablakwa’s comments, President Akufo-Addo also said he was unsure whether Aisha Huang was deported from Ghana in 2018 or fled.
This prompted the government to share documents indicating she was given a notice of repatriation in December 2018.
The Information Minister also said definitely that Aisha Huang had been repatriated.
But prosecutors told the court on Wednesday that Aisha sneaked out of the country.
