Galamsey Queen Caged

An Accra High Court (Criminal Division) yesterday remanded five Chinese nationals into prison custody, including En Huang aka Aisha Huang, the 31-year-old woman suspected to be one of Ghana's most notorious illegal miners.

Also in the cooler are four other suspects; Gao Jin Cheng, 45; Lu Qi Jun, 39; Haibin Gao, 26; Zhang and Zhang Pen, 23.

This follows the arrest of the woman last Saturday shortly after the arrest of the four other Chinese who confessed to be working as illegal miners (galamseyers) at Bepotenten in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region, for Aisha.

At the time of their arrest, galamsey had been outlawed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), through the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu.

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), which arraigned the suspects before court, said Aisha was the kingpin of a Chinese galamsey gang, with other members being the four currently on remand.

At the hearing yesterday, the court, presided over by Charles Edward Ekow Baiden, declined the plea by the defence lawyer not to remand the accused persons.

Peter Claver Nantuo, lawyer for the GIS, urged the court to remand the accused persons into prison custody for a week.

He stated that the activities of the suspects had destroyed the environment of rural areas in the country.

Mr. Nantuo disclosed that Aisha was arrested after a four-hour standoff with officials of the GIS.

He said investigations were currently underway – the reason the five suspects ought to be remanded in order not to interfere with investigations.

Daniel Awuku, lawyer for the five suspects, argued that his clients would not interfere with investigations of the GIS if bail was granted them.

He stated that Aisha is a businesswoman with a fixed place of abode, insisting that the suspect was arrested at her residence but not at the 'galamsey' site.

Mr  Awuku accused the media of blowing the case out of proportion by zooming in on only Aisha.

He said when his clients were bailed they would cooperate fully with the investigators and always avail themselves to the court.

The judge, however, ruled in favour of the GIS and remanded the five into prison custody until May 23, 2017.

He said he was not satisfied with the position of Mr. Awuku that the suspects would not interfere with investigations.

Meanwhile, the five individuals are yet to be officially charged with any offence, but they were brought to court by the GIS for a remand warrant.

Mobile Phone In Court
Earlier, Aisha was seen using her mobile phone while in court even under arrest.

Although the phone was later seized from her, she was spotted in open court fidgeting with her communication device to the surprise of many who knew her freedom had been curtailed under lawful custody.

The purported notorious galamsey operator was arrested when she stormed the GIS office in Kumasi to bail her boys.

It took officers of the GIS more than four hours to get the lady arrested as she let loose her wild dogs on them at her residence at Atinga Junction in Kumasi, trying to resist arrest.

It has emerged that Aisha was perceived to be untouchable because she had in her possession secrete sexual video tapes of some 'power broker' in the security services and some politicians which she is using for blackmailing.

Veteran journalist, Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, who made the revelation on Joy FM's 'News File' programme last Saturday, claimed that three women were involved in the shenanigan.

According to him, the Chinese women had built a network of influence in high places in the country which they rely on for protection whilst engaging in galamsey activities.

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
[email protected]