Aisha Huang
The hearing of the case involving the five Chinese nationals, including En Huang, popularly called Aisha Huang – the 31-year-old woman suspected to be one of Ghana’s most notorious illegal miners – could not proceed yesterday at the Accra Criminal High Court.
This was because lawyers on both sides protested the choice of a Chinese student from the Ghana School of Law as interpreter.
The parties had argued that for the purposes of fair trial, a Ghanaian-Chinese was more preferable instead of Young Chin York, who was introduced to the court as the interpreter.
En Huang aka Yaa Asantewaa, is in the dock with Gao Jin Cheng, 45; Lu Qi Jun, 39; Haibin Gao, 26; Zhang and Zhang Pen, 23.
At the trial yesterday, Bernard Owiredu Donkor, lawyer for the accused persons, first demanded background information when Young Chin York was introduced to the court as the interpreter.
There and then, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, Director of Public Prosecution who led the state’s legal team, informed the court that the state would prefer a Ghanaian who is proficient in the Chinese language to assist the court.
She argued that Chin York was expected to be called to the Bar in October, and expressed apprehension that his understanding of the legal regime could influence his interpretation.
The trial judge, Justice Charles Edward Ekow Baiden, adjourned hearing until July 21, and directed that the chief interpreter provides a Ghanaian-Chinese interpreter to assist the court to ensure that all the parties are satisfied.
State attorneys have for the third time filed fresh charges against the accused persons.
They were first charged under the Immigration Act which was later replaced with another under the Immigration and Mining Act.
Ms. Mercy Arthur, a chief state attorney, had informed the court that a new charge sheet that came with a new fact sheet had been filed on July 5 to replace the earlier one filed on May 23.
It may be recalled that Justice Baiden had complained about the lack of a supporting charge fact sheet and ordered the state attorneys to “put their house in order.”
The new charge sheet presented to the court has the supporting fact sheet with the five accused persons charged under both the Mining and Immigration Acts.
The accused persons worked as illegal miners (galamseyers) at Bepotenten in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.
At the time of their arrests, galamsey had been outlawed by the government, through the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu.
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson