Aisha Huang, a Chinese national notorious for galamsey-related crimes and accused of illegal mining, has begun presenting her evidence in the case brought against her by the State Prosecution.
The court had already decided that the prosecution had made a strong case against her.
En Huang, also known as Aisha Huang, provided the court with her witness statement on Monday, July 10, 2023.
She described how she met the other four Chinese nationals who were also arrested with her in her witness statement.
Ms. Huang claimed that she lived in Ahodwo in Kumasi, in the Ashanti area, and that she owned a supermarket which enabled her to understand basic English for her daily activities. She added that this accomplishment made her the go-to person for both Ghanaians and other Chinese nationals.
She denied, however, that she had participated in unlawful mining or helped others participate in a mining operation. She added that she had never run a mining operation.
“I am a citizen of China, and from 2011 until my deportation in December 2018, I resided in Ahodwo, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of the Republic of Ghana.
“I declare that between 2013 and 2018, I ran a supermarket at Ahodwo, Kumasi, popularly known as Aisha supermarket, with a predominance of Chinese customers.
“I reiterate that I have not received any official instruction in the languages of Twi or English, and I am unable to read or write in either of them.
“I repeat that I have a beginner’s understanding of the English language for my daily activities in Ghana due to my extended stay in Ghana and interactions with Ghanaians.
“I reiterate that because of my extended stay in Ghana, the operation of my supermarket, and my limited understanding of spoken English, I became very well-liked by Chinese nationals, my people, who reside in Ghana, particularly those who travel to Kumasi in particular and the Ashanti Region in general because the majority of them are unable to speak or understand Twi and English, which are the main languages of communication and interaction in the Region.
“I became the go-to person, a place of safe custody, and a point of reference for the majority of my people, which I am delighted to have done despite the fact that it came with a lot of dangers and obligations, such as the ongoing prosecution.
In my interactions with Chinese nationals in the area, I also became a point of reference for the majority of Ghanaians as well as several official entities, such as the Ghana Immigration Service.
“I was aware that Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibi Gao, and Zhang Zhipeng were in the Ashanti Region for the reasons mentioned above. My people, the Chinese, are they. They don’t work for me or my company, and I didn’t arrange for their arrival in Ghana.
