Crime

I can’t speak Twi …En Huang tells court

The Chinese national, speak­ing through a Ghanaian-Chinese interpreter, however, told the court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, that she could understand a little English.

The accused was answering questions during cross examina­tion by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Yvonne Atakorah Obuobisa.

The DPP suggested to Ms Huang that by virtue of her long stay in Kumasi and association with her Golden Asia Company Limited and Super Market, she (accused) became popular among the people, which enabled her to interact with them in the Twi language even with the people of Beposo.

Ms Huang also said she has never been to Beposo or spoken to anyone in Twi at the place.

She also said that even though the Golden Asia Company Lim­ited was registered to undertake mining, it only operated a super­market.

Ms Huang, explained that though she signed some docu­ments, she could not remember their contents.

The accused, nicknamed “galamsey queen,” said that she was also not aware that a depen­dent spouse should not engage in any income generating activity.

The Accra High Court has ordered En Huang to open her defence to charges of illegal min­ing, popularly known as galamsey.

The court held that a prima facie case had been made against En Huang, also by the state.

Ms Huang is currently facing three counts of undertaking mining operation without licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in mining oper­ation and the illegal employment of foreigners.

The accused on May 3, 2023, changed her plea of entering Ghana while she had been pro­hibited from re-entry, and had been convicted on that charge with her sentencing deferred to the end of the trial of the remaining charges.

The prosecution on May 3, 2023, closed its case after calling 11 witnesses.

The court said, it was clear that illegal mining had taken place at Bepotenten in the Aman­sie West District of Ashanti Region.

It also ruled that the said illegal mining activities were done without licence or authority from the sector minister.

The court had directed Ms Huang to file her witness state­ments by July 3, 2023.

En Huang, has been accused of engaging in galamsey, especial­ly in the Ashanti Region.

She was deported from Ghana in 2018, after the Attor­ney-General (A-G) discontinued her trial in which she was accused of engaging in small-scale mining without licence.

But, she was said to have sneaked back into Ghana to al­legedly engage in the same activi­ties for which she was deported.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, decided to pros­ecute her for the alleged crimes before her deportation and new ones committed since her entry back into the country.

 BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU

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