Aisha Huang
Details have emerged that En Huang, aka Aisha Huang, a Chinese national standing trial for illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey, used a fake marriage certificate and a forged Ghana passport to obtain her indefinite resident permit in Ghana.
The court also heard that the galamsey kingpin was granted an indefinite resident permit based on her supposed marriage to a Ghanaian known as Anthony Fabian.
Superintendent of Immigration David Essien, who revealed this, said an investigation conducted by the Ghana Immigration Service revealed that the documents used to acquire the resident permit were forged.
He said it was on the basis of this that her indefinite resident permit was revoked by the Ghana Immigration Service, which subsequently led to her repatriation in December 2018.
“On the face of the passport when we examined it, the accused was on indefinite permit status which was granted to her based on her supposed marriage to a Ghanaian known as Anthony Fabian. However, investigations conducted by the Ghana Immigration Service established that the accused used forged marriage certificate and forged Ghana passport in support of her application for the indefinite resident permit,” Superintendent of Immigration David Essien told the court.
“My Lord, as a result of this the Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service revoked the indefinite resident permit on grounds of fraudulent misrepresentation in accordance with section 22(2a) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573), which led to the subsequent repatriation of the accused on December 19, 2018,” he added.
Superintendent of Immigration David Essien, was testifying as the prosecution’s second witness in the trial of Aisha Huang, who has been charged for undertaking illegal mining at Bepotenten in Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.
She has also been charged for illegally re-entering Ghana following her repatriation in 2018 when she was arrested in May 2017, and put on trial for a similar offence of illegal mining.
Among the four charges is the restoration of the charge of illegal employment of foreign nationals contrary to section 24 of the Immigration Act, 2000, Act 573, which was one of the charges she was facing during her first trial.
Second Witness
Superintendent of Immigration David Essien, led in his evidence-in-chief by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, said he is stationed at the Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Immigration Service in Kumasi.
He said he encountered Aisha Hang on two occasions, with the first being on August 30, 2016, following publications on Myjoyonline and Ghanaweb about her alleged involvement in illegal mining, encroachment on other concessions, polluting water bodies and leaving trenches leading to the death of six children.
The witness said he was tasked by the Regional Commander to invite the accused person to ascertain her immigration status and the situation on the ground. He said Aisha honoured the invitation, submitted her passport and a statement was taken from her.
Mr. Essien indicated that his second encounter with her was on May 5, 2017, following the arrest of her employees who are Chinese nationals engaged in illegal mining at Bepotenten.
He said before the arrival of the arresting officers and Chinese employees, Aisha Huang reported to their office to enquire whether her employees had been brought there, and when she was told they were not, she left.
He said the Chinese nationals told the arresting officers that their passports were with Aisha, and after several attempts to reach her, she finally answered the phone and said the officers could send her employees to Accra as she did not care.
“She eventually came to the office and gave us the passports of the arrested employees. A statement was taken from her, and the following day on May 6, 2017, the accused (Aisha) and her employees were referred to our office in Accra for further investigation,” he added.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak