By Beatrice Oppong
An Accra Circuit Court has ordered lawyers for Aisha Huang, the Chinese woman accused of engaging in illegal mining activities in the country, and three others to file a formal application for bail before the court.
The Judge, Samuel Bright Acquah, gave the order following a plea by the lawyers, Oheneba Poku and Frank Kumadoh. They argued that the prosecution is unduly delaying the trial while the accused persons remain in custody.
The Prosecutor, Mercy Arthur, told the Court that the Attorney-General‘s Office has received the case docket in respect of the accused persons and there are instructions for further investigations to be conducted into certain aspects of the case.
In view of that, she prayed for the court to adjourn to enable further investigations to be carried out.
The Lawyers, however, argued that per the statement of the Prosecutor, the trial will be further delayed while the accused persons remain in custody. They said the prosecution failed to give a definite date as to when the investigation would end and, considering that the accused persons have been in custody for long, the court should admit them to bail.
The lawyers told the Court that the accused persons would not in any way interfere with the investigations if granted bail.
Aisha Huang has been charged with the sale and purchase of minerals without a licence and engaging in illegal mining without licence.
The other three, Johng Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huaid Hun, are also facing one count of sale of mining equipment without licence. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and will re-appear before the court on November 11, 2022.