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The High Court in Accra convicted and sentenced Aisha Huang, also known as En Huang, to four years in prison for engaging in mining operations without a license and illegally entering Ghana while forbidden from re-entry. Aisha Huang was also fined GHC48,000 by the court, which was presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo.
The accusations against Aisha Huang were brought by Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame in response to allegations that she engaged in mining operations in Ghana without the requisite licensing framework. She was found guilty on all four allegations brought against her by the court.
The first charge charged Aisha Huang with “undertaking a mining operation without a license,” a violation of section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act of 2006, Act 703, as modified by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act 2019, Act 995. The court accepted the state’s claim that she engaged in mining operations in the Ashanti Region without a license between February 2015 and May 2017.
The second accusation, “facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation,” charged Aisha Huang with facilitating the participation of other individuals in mining operations without the required license. The state said that between February 2015 and May 2017, she allowed many people to participate in mining activities in the Ashanti Region’s Amansie Central District.
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The third count centered on “illegal employment of foreign nationals” in violation of section 24 of the Immigration Act of 2000, Act 573. According to the authorities, Aisha Huang illegally employed four Chinese nationals in May 2017 to work at an unauthorized mining facility in the Ashanti Region.
Aisha Huang was charged with “entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry” under section 20(4) of the Immigration Act (2000), Act 573. According to the authorities, she was caught in Kumasi on September 2, 2022, and was discovered to have re-entered Ghana while being forbidden.
Aisha Huang’s case drew notice when the Attorney General took up the case in November 2022, after she was found and rearrested in Ghana years after she had been deported. Aisha Huang was denied bail and remained in prison custody throughout the trial.
According to a survey done by Global Info Analytics and released on Monday, December 2, 2023, former President John Dramani Mahama is leading in Northern Region polls for the 2024 elections. According to the survey, Mahama received 55% of the votes, defeating Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who received 37%. The poll comprised 18 Northern Region constituencies, with economic concerns impacting voters’ decisions. The overall sample size was 1,538 people, with a margin of error of 3.19% and a confidence level of 99%. The poll was taken between November 20 and November 30, 2023.
