Chinese Galamsey Queen En Huang, popularly known as Aisha Huang, has denied involvement in illegal mining or mining-related activities.
Aisha Huang is facing charges at the Accra High Court following her return to Ghana and alleged involvement in illegal mining operations (galamsey).
There are four charges against her— entering the country illegally while prohibited from entry, undertaking a mining operation without a licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, and illegally employing foreigners.
She pleaded not guilty to three charges, except entering the country illegally. She has since been convicted on the said charge.
The accused was ordered to open her defence after the state prosecution presented 11 witnesses and closed its case.
Aisha Huang has, however, maintained her innocence after her witness statement was read in open court on Monday, July 10, 2023.
According to Huang, neither she nor her firm has ever been engaged in any mining activity.
Besides, she does not possess a mining license.
“Neither my company nor myself have engaged in mining or facilitated mining in any form by any person or group of persons.
“I do not know and have not been to any of the sites captured in the videos, pictures and maps tendered in evidence by the prosecution witnesses,” she told the court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo.
According to Aisha, her company, Golden Asia, did not own or hired any excavators, “changfans” or other earth-moving machines allegedly found at the sites where the four Chinese nationals were arrested.
She insists the evidence presented by the prosecution is false and maintained her plea of not guilty on the three counts of undertaking a mining operation without a license.