Accra, April 16, - A Senior State
Attorney has prayed an Accra High Court to send Aisha Huang and four other
Chinese nationals who are being tried for engaging in illegal mining back to
custody for their safety and speedy trial.
Ms Mercy Arthur made the
application following defence counsel’s submissions that Gao Jin Cheng one of
the accused could not attend court because he had fallen from a moving vehicle.
According to Ms Arthur, the
accused who are on bail were endangered and they would be safe when they were
sent into custody.
She told the court: “We are
greatly disappointed at the development because the state is running at a loss
in terms of transporting some witnesses from Kumasi to Accra only for the
matter to be adjourned.
At present, no medical report has
been provided indicating that Cheng is in hospital.”
Ms Arthur noted that records
before the court showed that the matter had been adjourned at the instance of
the absence of Cheng.
Captain (Retired) Nkrabeah
Effah-Dartey defence counsel had earlier informed the court that: “Cheng fell
from a moving vehicle in Kumasi and he was rushed to Adiembra Hospital. As I
speak he is still on admission. I will therefore ask for an adjournment to
enable him join us.”
Capt. Rtd Effah-Dartey said he
was going to talk to his clients about the dangers of absenting themselves from
court and appealed to them to take good care of themselves.
However, when the presiding
judge, Mr Justice Charles Ekow Baiden enquired further from the accused how
Cheng fell from vehicle, Aisha said Cheng was riding a motorbike and he fell
off.
The judge further quizzed:” How
could the accused fall from a car, was he a “trotro mate, was he sitting on top
of a vehicle?”
Defence counsel said he was going
get the details of the incident and inform the court accordingly.
The court adjourned the matter to
May 10 and 11, this year.
Aisha Huang and her four
accomplices namely: Gao Jin Cheng, 45; Lu Qi Jun 39; Habin Gao 26; and Zang Pan
23 have been accused of engaging in illegal mining in the Ashanti Region.
Aisha aka Yaa Asantewaa has
additionally been accused of providing mine support services without valid
licence from the Minerals Commission.
The five who have pleaded not
guilty are on GH¢500,000.00 bail each. Each surety is to be justified.
GNA
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