I operated a supermarket and not involved in galamsey — Aisha Huang tells her story

Aisha Huang who opened her defense in the case against her by the State Prosecution in court on Monday, July 10, 2023, said she came into contact with the four other Chinese nationals arrested with her.

According to her, she resided at Ahodwo in Kumasi in the Ashanti region, owning a supermarket that helped her appreciate the basic English language for her day-to-day routine; a feat she added made her the point of reference for both Ghanaians and other Chinese Nationals.

She has denied any involvement in mining activities in Ghana.

In her witness statement during her criminal trial, Aisha Huang said she has never engaged in any mining activities and does not possess a mining license.

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Initially, she denied the charge after being deported in 2018 but on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, she changed her plea to guilty.

She was arrested in Kumasi and found to have re-entered Ghana after she had been barred from entering the country.

Aisha was charged with undertaking mining operations without licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in mining operations, and the illegal employment of foreigners.

Narrating her story to the court, Aisha Huang said “I am a Chinese national and lived at Ahodwo, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of the Republic of Ghana from 2011 until I was deported in December 2018.

“I say that between the years 2013 and 2018, I operated a supermarket popularly known as Aisha Supermarket at Ahodwo, Kumasi having a dominantly Chinese customer base.

“I say again that I have no formal English or Twi language education and cannot read or write any of these two languages.

“I say yet again that by virtue of my long stay in Ghana and interactions with Ghanaians, I have a beginner’s appreciation of the English language for my daily routine in Ghana.

“I say further again that by virtue of my long stay in Ghana, the operation of my supermarket, and my beginner’s appreciation of spoken English, I became very popular among Chinese nationals, my people, living in Ghana especially those who find their way to Kumasi specifically and the Ashanti Region in general because most of them cannot speak or understand Twi and English which are the main languages of communication and interaction in the Region.

“I became a point of reference, the go-to person, and a place of safe custody for most of my people which I am happy to do though it came with huge responsibilities and risks like the ongoing prosecution.

“I also became a point of reference for most Ghanaians and some state institutions including the Ghana Immigration Service in their dealings with Chinese nationals in the region.

“For the reasons stated above, I knew about the presence of Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibi Gao, and Zhang Zhipeng in the Ashanti Region. They are Chinese, my countrymen. However, I did not facilitate their coming to Ghana and they do not work for me or my company.”

Source: PulseGhana