Aisha Huang not the problem; who're the powerful Ghanaians behind her? – Kwesi Aning quizzes

Prof Kwesi Aning, who is the Faculty of Academic Affairs & Research Director at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, says the relevant authorities would be doing Ghana a great disservice if galamsey queen Aisha Huang alone is jailed without unmasking the powerful Ghanaian cartel who have emboldened her to undermine the security of the country.

Aisha Huang was arrested and deported for engaging in illegal mining in 2018 but has returned to the country to engage in the same crime that led to her deportation.

She was re-arrested recently and facing two charges of mining without a licence and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a valid licence.

Her arrest has sent social media agog as people wonder how she gained access back into the country.

Some reports suggest she smuggled herself into Ghana through neighbouring Togo and acquired a Ghana card in February 2022 with a new name, Huang En.

Reacting to her latest arrest on the Class Morning Show on Class91.3FM, Wednesday, 7 September 2022, Prof Aning said the best approach to deal with the situation is to probe and discover the Ghanaians who aided her in her illegal work.

Prof Aning told show host Kofi Oppong Asamoah: “Aisha Huang is not the problem; what we should be asking is: who are the Ghanaians in positions of influence and have sought actively to facilitate, protect and encourage the activities of a Chinese agent to undermine and threaten Ghana’s stability, development and security?”

Prof Aning suspects Aisha Huang might be just a front.

“What we are talking about is a treasonable offence because if we link the original release and escape of Aisha Huang to the fact that we were looking for money from China and, therefore, allowing the law [not] to work to jeopardise those negotiations, then this one is not an ordinary Chinese citizen, then she is an agent of the state working to undermine Ghana’s interest …so, we need to ask ourselves and we need to elevate this conversation to a national security conversation,” he stated.

He asked: “Who are those Ghanaians who have facilitated the activities of the agent of a foreign power that undermines and threatens the sovereignty of the Republic of Ghana…?”

In his view, “we should be conscious that people don’t seem to be acting to do things in the hope that they can divert attention. This is not just an individual woman, she is part of a criminal enterprise having entered Ghana when she ought not to and doesn’t have the right to come here…”