State prosecutors have preferred fresh charges against the son of galamsey kingpin Aisha Huang and two others for a total of eight counts including possession of ammunition and remaining in Ghana after the expiration of permit.
Huang Lei, (First Accused), son of the Chinese galamsey kingpin has pleaded not guilty to two charges. Huang Haihua, the (Second Accused person) who was charged with possession of a forged official document, also denied any wrongdoing whilst the (third accused person), Shi Yang, charged with four counts of possession of ammunition, pleaded not guilty to them.
All three have been remanded into prison custody.
In court on Wednesday, December 21, when the case was called, the prosecution led by Mercy Arthur, a Principal State Attorney, withdrew the previous charge sheet filed on November 21 and replaced it with a new one filed on December 20.
Their plea on the fresh charges were taken after the court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo had discharged them on the previous charge sheet and struck it out as withdrawn.
According to EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, the court while remanding the accused persons into prison custody said, the Chinese nationals are flight risk and the court is not convinced that when granted bail they would appear to stand trial.
The case has been adjourned to January 12, 2023.
Brief facts
Mercy Arthur told the court that, sometime in August 2022, the National Security Council Secretariat, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and other security agencies received intelligence that the 1st and 2nd accused persons, Huang Lei and Huang Haihua, together with other foreign nationals had remained in the country without permits.
She said they were suspected to be engaged in illegal mining activities.
