Vary our bail terms- Aisha, others pray

Accra, Nov. 22,- Aisha Huang and four other Chinese, who have been accused of engaging in illegal mining in the Ashanti Region, have prayed an Accra High Court to vary their bail conditions.

     

Aisha Huang and her four accomplices namely: Gao Jin Cheng, 45; Lu Qi Jun 39; Habin Gao, 26; and Zhang Pen, 23; contend that reporting to the Police and the Ghana Immigration Service twice a week in Accra was a challenge.

      

The motion is before the court presided over by Mr Justice Iddrisu Abduallai and was filed on November 17.

     

The substantive judge, Mr Justice Ekow Baiden who is hearing the matter is on leave.

     

Ms Huang was granted bail in the sum of GH₵500,000.00 with two sureties each to be justified.

The four others: Gao Jin Cheng, 45; Lu Qi Jun 39; Habin Gao, 26; and Zhang Pen, 23; were also admitted to bail in the sum of GH₵500,000.00 with one surety each. Each surety is to be justified.

Aisha, aka Aisha, or Yaa Asantewaa, has additionally been accused of providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission. 

As part of the bail conditions, they were to report to the Police and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in Accra twice every week.

However Aisha and her accomplices hold the view that this was posing a challenge for them and were praying the court to allow them to report to the Police and GIS in Kumasi, where they all resides.

   

Defence Counsel Bernard Owiredu Donkor informed the court that they filed their motion on November 17, this year and same was served on the Attorney General.

   

Mr Watskin Adama, a State Attorney told the court that he had not been served with the motion and was not privy to the court processes.

   

The court adjourned the matter to January 29, 2018.

They have been accused of undertaking their activities at Bepotenten in the Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region.

Aisha is also accused of providing excavators to small scale mining companies around February 2015 to May 2017 without a valid license from the Minerals Commission; and also providing illegal employment to foreign nationals.

The accused were rounded up by the GIS in the Ashanti Region and they were, consequently, transferred to Accra by the GIS for further investigations.

On May 9, this year, Aisha and her supposed accomplices were put before the High Court.

GNA