'If Aisha Huang was a terrorist, she may have caused damage' – Dr Norman

The arrest of Chinese galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang, has raised pertinent questions as to how prepared Ghana is in the fight against terrorism.

Dr Ishmael Norman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies, believes that Ghana's National Security is weak especially when there is an insurgence of terrorists in the West African sub-region.


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According to Dr Norman, the National Security Minister has a lot of questions to answer over how the office could not detect that she had returned to the country for weeks.

He believes that if the National Security architecture were strong, Aisha Huang, who was deported from the country sometime back would not have entered the country again; she would have been arrested at the point of entry.

Speaking to Accra-based TV3 Tuesday, September 6, Dr Norman said “This shows that the computer or data is not interoperable with National Security and Police. They should have been able to arrest her at the point of entry.

“There is a little bit of confusion of the immigration service about how they should handle Aisha.”

“I won’t blame Immigration Service too much, but National Security. How come the National Security didn’t give the information?" he quizzed.

“If she were a terrorist, she may have caused damage over the past two weeks that she has been in the country. She knows she is protected by incriminating information she may be having on officials,” Dr Ishmael Norman added.

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded Chinese national Huang En alias Aisha Huang and three others for allegedly engaging in illegal mining in Ghana.

The accused persons were charged for engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a licence.

The other three are Jong Li Hua; Huang Jei and Huiad Hiahu, all Chinese nationals.

Aisha Huang is facing an additional charge of engaging in mining without a licence.