Aisha Huang's bail request is denied for the second time by the court, and the case is adjourned.
For the second time, an Accra Circuit Court has denied bail for Aisha Huang and three other Chinese nationals.
This follows their reappearance in court on September 14, 2022, following an initial adjournment of the case.
Aisha Huang and three others are on trial for illegal mining activities.
With initial charges of mining without a license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals, four additional charges were filed at the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court on Friday, September 16, 2022, including undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreign nationals, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.
The sitting judge, Samuel Bright Acquah, argued in court today, Tuesday September 27, 2022, that the case was one of public concern due to the extent of environmental damage caused by galamsey activities.
The judge denied bail, citing threats by Ghana Water Company to shut down if nothing is done about galamsey activities, as well as the impact on marine species in affected waterbodies, among other things.
This is the second time the accused has been denied bail by the court. The first was on September 14, 2022, when lead counsel Nkrabea-Effah Dartey requested bail for his client and three other Chinese counterparts.
According to GhanaWeb's court reporter, the prosecution objected to Aisha Huang's request.
According to the prosecution, new arrests have been made, so granting bail to the accused may allow them to interfere with witnesses and investigations.
While citing public interest in the case, the prosecution also claimed that Aisha Huang has a history of sneaking into and out of the country and is thus a flight risk.
The accused are still in police custody.
The case was later rescheduled for October 12, 2022.
Courtroom drama:
Aisha Huang, the Chinese galamsey kingpin, sobbed in court on Wednesday, September 14, 2022
While it is unclear what caused her tears, previous reports from GhanaWeb's correspondent indicated that one of her colleagues, the second accused, Johng Li Hua, herself a Chinese, became ill during court proceedings and sobbed.
According to her lawyer, Frank Kumako, according to information from her family, his client, Johng Li, was on some medications.
She was rushed to the hospital after collapsing in the courtroom.
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