How Osafo Maafo made history with the Galamsey Queen Aisha Huang

In 2018, there were concerns by Ghanaians as to why the state failed to prosecute Aisha Huang but rather opted to deport her after she was charged with undertaking small-scale mining operations contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to

Read full articleSection 59 and 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act.

Responding to the above question, the then Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, said jailing Aisha Huang will not serve any interest to Ghana and Ghanaians citing Ghana’s good relationship with Ghana as one of the reasons.

“We have a very good relationship with China. The main company that is helping develop the infrastructure system in Ghana is Sinohydro, it is a Chinese Company. It is the one that is going to help process our bauxite and provide about $2 billion to us. So when there are these kind of arrangements, there are other things behind the scenes. Putting [Aisha Huan] in jail in Ghana is not going to solve your money problem. It is not going to make you happy or me happy.

"That is not important…the most important thing is that she has been deported out of Ghana. There are many other things beyond what we see in these matters and everybody is wide awake. The most important thing is that we established regulations and we are protecting our environment. That is far more important than one Chinese woman who has been deported back to her country,” he said in a viral video when he attended a town hall meeting abroad.

Four years on following the news of her deportation back to China, Aisha Huang has been rearrested for the same offences on September 5, 2022

Miss Huang, together with three other Chinese nationals, were brought before the court over charges including engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a license and mining without a license.

The court could not take into record the pleas of the four suspects because there was no interpreter to help translate proceedings for the Chinese nationals.

The accused persons were not represented by a lawyer.

Based on the circumstance, the lead prosecutor, Chief Inspector Detective Frederick Sarpong, prayed to the court for an adjournment.

The court adjourned sitting on the case to Wednesday, September 14, 2022.

NYA/WA