Aisha Huang was arrested and deported in Ghana in 2018 for engaging in illegal mining
Ranking Member on Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has given an update on his investigation into the arrest of female Chinese galamsey (illegal mining) kingpin Aisha Huang.
In his latest update on the Aisha Huang case, Mr Ablakwa disclosed that the Chinese national supposedly deported from Ghana in 2018 had been back in the country since February
He indicates that Aisha Huang had trekked between Ghana and Togo over the past three years until her recent arrest in August this year.
"We can confirm that Aisha Huang has footprints of her physical presence in Ghana from as far back as February 27, 2019 — yes, more than 3 years ago, and much longer than originally portrayed.
"We now know that Aisha Huang has been living in Ghana and Togo for more than 3 years before obtaining her Ghana Card on February 27, 2022," he stated in a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb.
Aisha Huang was arrested in 2017 and charged with various offences, including illegal mining.
However, to the disappointment of many Ghanaians in support of the fight against galamsey, the state filed to discontinue her trial and subsequently deported her from the country in 2018.
The Senior Minister at the time, Nana Yaw Osafo Maafo, justified her deportation by saying it was rather in the country's interest.
However, President Akufo-Addo took a different position by describing her deportation as a "mistake."
But according to Mr Ablakwa, his current investigations confirm that Aisha Huang, despite her supposed deportation, was trekking between Ghana and Togo even before the statements by the president and the senior minister.
"Our unimpeachable investigations reveal that even before Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo justified Aisha Huang's doubtful deportation in April 2019 and long before President Akufo-Addo's statement on the dubious deportation in September 2019, Aisha Huang was in Ghana travelling on multiple occasions between Ghana and Togo," he said.
According to Mr Ablakwa, Aisha Huang's travels between Ghana and Togo over the period were facilitated by using two different Chinese passports with different details.
While urging the Chinese government to explain the circumstances accounting for her possession of the two passports, Mr Ablakwa added that her travels were through approved immigration routes and questioned how the Ghana Immigration Service missed all the red flags.
He reiterated his call for a bipartisan parliamentary probe into the Aisha Huang saga while expressing disappointment that no head of Ghana's security agency has been sacked for the scandal.
He further implied the complicity of the current government in the Aisha Huang scandal.
"When nobody in authority is punished for this international disgrace and for this grand scheme which has left our environment and water bodies destroyed, the only logical interpretation is that national leadership, right from the Presidency is complicit. It is also clear to us from concrete facts we have discovered that Aisha Huang's charges are deliberately scanty, narrow and superficial with the obvious intention of protecting guilty accomplices in high places," the opposition MP said.
Meanwhile, Aisha Huang, whose recent arrest is in connection with similar galamsey offences as her 2017 arrest, has been remanded into custody with various charges pressed against her in a magistrate and a high court.
Read below full details of Mr Ablakwa's statement on Aisha Huang:
Diligent, assiduous and industrious parliamentary oversight on the Aisha Huang scandal has produced more bombshell findings:
1. We can confirm that Aisha Huang has footprints of her physical presence in Ghana from as far back as February 27, 2019 — yes, more than 3 years ago, and much longer than originally portrayed;
2. We now know that Aisha Huang has been living in Ghana and Togo more than 3 years before obtaining her Ghana Card on February 27, 2022;
3. Our unimpeachable investigations reveal that even before Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo justified Aisha Huang’s doubtful deportation in April 2019 and long before President Akufo-Addo’s statement on the dubious deportation in September 2019, Aisha Huang was in Ghana traveling on multiple occasions between Ghana and Togo;
4. We can state authoritatively that Aisha Huang uses at least 2 Chinese Passports for her travels (see evidence attached);
5. One passport bears the name Huang En with passport number: G39575625. It was issued on January 14, 2010.
6. Her other passport has the name Huang Ruixia. It’s number is: EE9994609. This particular Chinese passport was issued on January 14, 2019;
7. Strangely, both passports have different dates of birth. In her En Huang passport (G39575625) she claims to have been born July 7, 1986 while in the Ruixia Huang passport (EE9994609) she claims to be much older having been born on November 7, 1975.
8. We have also secured her China Identity Card which indicates she was born on November 7, 1975;
9. Her Ghana Non-Citizen Identity Card has different information from her China Identity Card - she clearly told NIA officials she was born on July 7, 1986;
10. Curiously, her En Huang passport had not expired on its scheduled expiry date of January 13, 2020 when she secured her Ruixia Huang passport on January 14, 2019.
11. It’s quite striking how she makes sure her Chinese passports are always issued on a January 14;
12. Even though Aisha Huang deliberately damaged the electronic component of her Ruixia Huang passport before her latest arrest (see evidence attached), the Chinese government owes Ghana some urgent clarifications on the genuineness of both passports, and if they are genuine why Aisha Huang was issued a second passport when her earlier passport hadn’t expired;
13. We now have it on authority that her multiple trips to Togo and back to Ghana since February 2019 were not on the blind side of Ghanaian authorities. In other words, she didn’t sneak in and out through unapproved routes as the Ghanaian government’s jumbled narrative suggests;
14. We come to the firm conclusion that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government ought to have known about her multiple travels between Ghana and Togo at a time we were told she had been deported to China because expert forensic analysis we have conducted on Ghana Immigration Embarkation and Disembarkation Stamps in her Chinese passport using the latest version of the globally acclaimed Video Spectral Comparator (VSC 8000/HS) confirms that all the Ghana Immigration Embarkation/Disembarkation Stamps in her passport are genuine;
15. Our irrefutable investigations reveal that Aisha Huang physically presented herself to Ghana Immigration officials at the Aflao border on February 27, 2019 and on April 28, 2019;
16. Despite her changing names and different dates of birth, it is most bizarre that Aisha Huang’s biometrics didn’t raise alarm at the Aflao border immigration post considering that her biometrics had previously been captured at numerous locations including at the Kotoka International Airport and the NIA;
17. Her well-stored details as contained in Ghana’s PISCES (Personal Identification Secured Certified Evaluation System) should equally have raised alarm if she didn’t have top collaborators within our security institutions;
18. It is also intriguing that the Ghanaian government didn’t appear to share intelligence on the notorious Aisha Huang with governments of neighboring countries as is standard practice, and which could have limited Aisha’s sinister movements in the sub-region;
19. From our extensive work, there is still no credible evidence that Aisha Huang was deported to China as the President and his Senior Minister originally claimed;
20. Based on what we now know, it is most inexplicable that many Ghanaian officials involved in this cruel and embarrassing conspiracy against our republic have not been fired and charged along with Aisha Huang in the current prosecution;
21. It remains a mockery of humongous proportions that all of Ghana’s security ministers are still keeping their jobs;
22. When nobody in authority is punished for this international disgrace and for this grand scheme which has left our environment and water bodies destroyed, the only logical interpretation is that national leadership, right from the Presidency is complicit;
23. It is also clear to us from concrete facts we have discovered that Aisha Huang’s charges are deliberately scanty, narrow and superficial with the obvious intention of protecting guilty accomplices in high places;
24. We believe as a responsible and patriotic opposition, we are now adequately armed to keep an eagle eye on a government that cannot be trusted on this and many matters;
25. We are stronger in our conviction that this astonishing Aisha Huang scandal requires a full independent Article 278 Commission of Enquiry which must be broadcast live to all Ghanaians.
Aisha Huang was arrested and deported in Ghana in 2018 for engaging in illegal mining
