By Beatrice Oppon
A farmer at Bepotenten in the Ashanti region Timothy Teye Ali has indicated that he and three other farmers agreed to sell their farmlands to Aisha Haung for mining when she contacted them through one James Ogbey somewhere in 2017.
He however said Aisha Haung breached the terms of the agreement when she went ahead to clear the cocoa and palm trees on the farmland when she had not made full payment.
Teye Ali is the fifth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the alleged Chinese illegal miner Aisha Huang.
The prosecution witness Timothy Teye Ali told the Accra High Court that he agreed to sell his farmland for 28 Thousand Cedis to Aisha Huang.
He narrated that on the day of the assessment of the farmlands, the representative of Aisha Huang, James Ogbey led him and the other landowners to the accused at her mining site and she gave each of them thousand cedis and promised to settle the rest later.
The witness said he was informed that the accused should not start mining on their farmlands until Aisha Haung’s full payment and he assured them that it would be complied with.
According to the witness he was shocked when the accused went contrary to the agreement and used an excavator to clear every crop on his four-acre land.
Teye Ali said when they confronted Mr. Ogbey on the development he assured them of settlement. He said he later received 12 thousand Cedis paid in three installments from Mr Obey as part payment.
He added that, the accused person continued working on the land until she was arrested for illegal mining.
The witness further told the Court that following the arrest they went to see Mr. Ogbey to demand the rest of their money and he assured that even if the accused person is convicted, her property is enough to be sold to offset the debt.
The witness said, he was informed that Mr Ogbey had sold of the excavators belonging to the accused person and so he went to him to demand the balance of his money but only received two thousand cedis.
He then sent Mr Ogbey to Court.
The Witness said the illegal mining activities of Aisha Huang led to the destruction of some rivers at Sukuumu, Bepotenten.
Hearing continues next Wednesday for cross-examination of the witness by the Defence Lawyer.
