Prominent illegal miner Aisha Huang has been jailed for four and a half years after she was found guilty of mining without a licence.
She was also fined by the court to the tune of GH¢48, 000.
The judge, after considering the case of the prosecution and defence, found the accused guilty. The accused was previously let go on similar charges.
But the judge could only impose a four-year sentence because the law for which she was being prosecuted was the old legal regime, which had five years as the highest sentence.
Background
Aisha Huang was accused of being in the thick of galamsey, especially in the Ashanti Region. She was initially arrested and deported from the country in 2018 after the A-G decided to discontinue her trial, in which she was accused of engaging in small-scale mining without a licence.
However, she reportedly sneaked into the country to allegedly engage in the same activities for which she was deported.
In October 2022, the A-G then decided to prosecute her for the alleged crimes before her deportation and new ones committed since her entry back into the country.
It is the case of the prosecution that Aisha had an illegal mining concession at Bepotenten in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region and also operated a mining support services company.
She had pleaded not guilty to undertaking a mining operation without a licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, the illegal employment of foreigners, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.
But on May 3, this year, Aisha pleaded guilty to entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry, contrary to Section 20(4) of the Immigration Act, 2000, Act 573.
That was after she had entered into a plea bargaining agreement with the state (office of the Attorney General).
Source: CitiNewsRoom
