Although the dust is yet to settle on how the deported Chinese ‘Galamsey Queen’ Aisha Huang entered the country, new information suggests she has a Ghana Card.
The card circulating on social media, which bears the name Huang En has been labelled a non-resident identity Ghana Card.
The non-citizen Ghana Card is the mandatory form of identification to be used in all transactions.
Further details suggest the card was issued on 27 February 2022 and is expected to expire on 26 February 2023.
The latest development has caused a public uproar, leaving many to wonder how she obtained a Ghana Card when the majority of the citizenry has yet to acquire the card.
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, leading the crusade, expressed surprise by the development on Joy News Tuesday morning.
“And then registration for Ghana Card. How did it happen? How did she get the Ghana Card?” he quizzed.
The Tamale South legislator added that Minority would be monitoring events closely in the coming days, especially since she was deported before her card’s issuance date.
He further urged the appropriate authorities to ensure an expedited prosecution commences.
“So we expect the law enforcement agencies to take up this matter and make sure she is subjected to the full rigours of the law without any fear or favour. Other than that, how would you arrest any Ghanaian associated with illegal mining?
“What would you do to the person when you cannot do this to a Chinese national who has been doing this with impunity and disrespected our law,” he stressed.
Background
A popular Chinese woman reported to be a kingpin in the galamsey business, Huang Ruixia, alias Aisha Huang, was re-arrested for a similar offence.
The 47-year-old Aisha Huang, who gained notoriety after her arrest in May 2017 and was tagged as the Galamsey Queen, was arraigned on fresh charges.
This time, the deported queen was charged with three others for selling and purchasing minerals without a licence.
She is also on a provisional charge of mining without a licence.
Her plea on the two charges was reserved due to the unavailability of a Chinese interpreter when she appeared at the Circuit Court in Accra on 2 September.
While Aisha Huang was arraigned last Friday with her plea yet to be taken, the remaining three – Jong Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huiad Hiahu appeared before the court again today.
All three have pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been remanded into custody to reappear on 14 September.
Even though the three were in court today, Aisha Huang, who had earlier appeared in court last Friday, was not present.
It was the case of the prosecutor Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Sarpong, that investigations were still ongoing.
He then prayed for the accused to be remanded into custody pending further investigations.
As narrated in court, the complainants are security and intelligence officers, and the accused persons are Chinese nationals.
The prosecution said Aisha had gained “notoriety” for engaging in a series of small-scale mining activities known as galamsey across the country.
It said in 2017, Aisha was arrested for a similar offence, but she managed to “sneak out” of the country, averting prosecution.
The prosecution said early this year, Aisha “sneaked” into Ghana, having changed the details on her Chinese passport.
The suspect is said to have applied for a Togo visa and went through the borders into Ghana.
Aisha then resumed small-scale mining activities without a license and further engaged in the purchase and sale of minerals in Accra without valid authority as granted by the Minerals and Mining Act.
The prosecution said she engaged in the sale and purchase of minerals with the three accused persons and that intelligence led to their arrest.
All four accused persons are expected in court on 14 September.