A Superintendent of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has testified that, En Huang, who is facing trial at an Accra High Court for forging a marriage certificate to obtain an indefinite permit speaks fluent English and Twi.
According to him, he interacted with Aisha Huang in English when he personally delivered an invitation letter to her, asking her to come to the GIS office in Kumasi.
The invitation, he said was concerning a news publication that had alleged her involvement in illegal mining in 2016.
“When the accused honoured the invitation, during the interview she spoke in English and responded in English and she is very fluent in English and even speaks fluent Twi,”
“She didn’t give us any indication that she didn’t understand. She understood all the information and appended her signature,” he said.
The witness disclosed this in court when he was asked by the counsel of the accused, Nkrabeah Effah Dartey why his client was not given a Chinese interpreter when writing her statement.
Superintendent David Essien is the second prosecution witness in the trial of En Huang also known as Aisha Huang, a Chinese businesswomen who has also been charged with engaging in mining without license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in mining operation and illegal employment of foreign nationals and entering Ghana while prohibited.
She has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
A Chinese interpreter has been required for trial, involving Aisha as she insisted that she cannot interact in any language except Chinese.
Mr Dartey had questioned him on why the accused did not have a Chinese interpreter present when her two statements (tended in by the witness as evidence) was taken by the immigration officers in 2016 and 2017.
Defense counsel also inquired whether accused was informed by witness that the statement would be used against her in court but he responded “no”.
He added that they had invited her concerning her immigration status and the news publication concerning her alleged illegal mining activities at Bepotenten in Amansie Central, Ashanti Region.
According to the witness, it took three years for the GIS to detect that the marriage certificate of accused was false, but added that when it was realised, the Comptroller General of the GIS revoked her indefinite residence permit on December 19, 2019.
Superintendent Essien also revealed that the three acres of land that Aisha Huang allegedly mined at Bepotenten was owned by Egyir mining and was leased to her by one of the directors of the small scale mining concession that also operated at Bepotenten.
This, he said, came to his notice through one of the directors of Egyir mining, Aston Ahenkan who when questioned denied her claim that she rented excavator machines to them.
He admitted that he did not independently verify that information but sent a report to the GIS headquarters in Accra for that to be done.
Hearing continues today.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
