Kwesi Pratt's reaction to Osafo Maafo's freeing of Aisha Huang comments

Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo courted Controversy after responding to a question during a town hall meeting in the United States recently.

The Senior Minister was asked why Ghana deported 'Chinese galamsey queen' Aisha Huang without prosecuting her.

In his response he said: said: “… Putting that lady [Aisha Huang – the Chinese galamsey queen] in jail in Ghana is not going to solve your economic problems. It is not going to make you or me happy, that’s not important”.

He further indicated: “today, 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”

Several people have reacted to this; some condemning and others asking him to resign.

On Friday's edition of Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo', the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper said, "per the country's executive arm of government structure, Mr Osafo Maafo's position overrides that of the Chief of Staff as he (Maafo) ranks third in order of importance; just behind the President and the Vice-President.

"Even among the numerous ministers under this administration, he is the senior-most appointee of all. And he claimed this Chinese woman (Aisha) was left off the hook because of the amount of donor support the government of China is providing us (Ghana). This wasn't said by a CPP or a PNC or NDC activist. Our own Senior Minister uttered those words, so why this beating around the bush. Did he say the things he said in his personal capacity or on behalf of government? If he spoke the mind of government, then this country deserves an explanation. And even if those were his personal views, why would a government official, whose budget is drawn from the taxpayers of Ghanaians, act in his personal capacity at a government of Ghana event?....We demand answers to these questions," Pratt strongly stated.