En Huang, also known as Aisha Huang and the “galamsey queen,” a Chinese national currently on trial in Ghana for her role in mining operations, has described her stay there.
On Monday, July 10, 2023, Aisha Huang, who was the defendant in the State Prosecution’s case against her, stated her defense in court. She claimed she had contact with the other four Chinese nationals who had been arrested alongside her.
She claimed to live in Ahodwo in Kumasi, in the Ashanti region, and own a supermarket, which she claimed helped her understand the fundamentals of English for her daily activities and made her the go-to person for both Ghanaians and other Chinese nationals.
She has denied having any involvement in Ghana’s mining industry.
Aisha Huang claimed in her testimony at her criminal trial that she has never worked in the mining industry and does not hold a mining license.
After being deported in 2018, she initially denied the charge, but on May 3, 2023, she changed her plea to guilty.
She was detained in Kumasi and discovered to have returned to Ghana after being denied entry.
Aisha was accused of conducting mining operations without a permit, encouraging people to participate in mining operations, and hiring foreign nationals without authorization.
Aisha Huang told the court about her experience and said, “I am a Chinese national and lived at Ahodwo, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of the Republic of Ghana from 2011 until I was deported in December 2018.
“I say that between the years 2013 and 2018, I operated a supermarket popularly known as Aisha Supermarket at Ahodwo, Kumasi having a dominantly Chinese customer base.
“I say again that I have no formal English or Twi language education and cannot read or write any of these two languages.
“I say yet again that by virtue of my long stay in Ghana and interactions with Ghanaians, I have a beginner’s appreciation of the English language for my daily routine in Ghana.
“I say further again that by virtue of my long stay in Ghana, the operation of my supermarket, and my beginner’s appreciation of spoken English, I became very popular among Chinese nationals, my people, living in Ghana especially those who find their way to Kumasi specifically and the Ashanti Region in general because most of them cannot speak or understand Twi and English which are the main languages of communication and interaction in the Region.
“I became a point of reference, the go-to person, and a place of safe custody for most of my people which I am happy to do though it came with huge responsibilities and risks like the ongoing prosecution.
“I also became a point of reference for most Ghanaians and some state institutions including the Ghana Immigration Service in their dealings with Chinese nationals in the region.
“For the reasons stated above, I knew about the presence of Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibi Gao, and Zhang Zhipeng in the Ashanti Region. They are Chinese, my countrymen. However, I did not facilitate their coming to Ghana and they do not work for me or my company.”
