Aisha Huang
An Accra High Court (Criminal Division) has once again adjourned the trial of Aisha Huang, the Chinese lady standing trial over alleged illegal mining (galamsey) in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.
This was as a result of the absence of another Chinese, Lu Qi Jun, one of the accused persons who was said to be sick.
The court was informed that Mr. Jun fell sick on February 17, 2018 and had since been admitted at the hospital.
When the case was called, Chief State Attorney, Mercy Arthur, prayed the court for a short adjournment, saying the presence of the accused person was crucial in the trial.
She said the Chinese was being charged with a first degree felony; and looking at the punishment that the conviction could carry, it was important that he was present.
The court, presided over by Justice Charles Ekow Baiden, subsequently adjourned the case to February 26, 2018 for the trial to continue.
He however, ordered Mr. Jun to furnish the court’s registry with a certified medical report from a Government of Ghana certified hospital confirming why he was admitted.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge has made it clear to both the prosecution and the defence counsel that he would not countenance any further delays in the trial of the case.
According to him, the situation where the trial had to be adjourned because either the prosecution or the defence was facing one challenge or the other ought to stop.
Justice Ekow Baiden indicated that it would be in the interest of the accused persons if the trial ended quickly and justice was delivered.
He therefore, made it clear that he would not accept any “justice delayed is justice denied” situation as far as the trial is concerned.
Lawyers for the five Chinese illegal miners were yesterday expected to cross-examine an immigration officer who had ended his evidence-in-chief as a prosecution witness.
The trial had to be adjourned at the last sitting because of confusion over legal representation for Aisha and her colleagues.
While Captain Nkrabea Effah Dartey (rtd) announced himself as the counsel for the five, the presiding judge indicated that he (Dartey) was not known in the matter.
The judge said if the lawyer wanted to represent the accused persons, then he had to properly file so that he could be recognized as such.
That advice seemed to have gone down well and Captain Dartey (rdt) yesterday announced himself as legally representing the five persons.
Aisha Huang and four other Chinese nationals – Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Habin Gao and Zhang Pen – filed the application two weeks ago praying the court to show some clemency and review some of the bail conditions which they claimed were having a financial toll and other challenges on them.
The five were arrested in Kumasi for their alleged involvement in large-scale galamsey activities and were brought to Accra to face trial.
She was granted bail by the court in June 2017 in the sum of GH¢500,000 with two sureties to be justified.
The four others were also granted bail in the sum of GH?500,000.00 with one surety each, who must be a Ghanaian by birth. Each surety is to be justified.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak