Former NDC Ashanti Regional Minister, Joseph Yamin, has alleged that small-scale illegal mining (‘galamsey’) ‘queen’, Aisha Huang has not been prosecuted by the government because she helps them raise funds.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s fear of the ‘galamsey’ ‘queen’ exposing them is the reason they are skeptical about prosecuting her.
The former National Democratic Congress (NDC) regional chairman added that he also agrees with allegations that Aisha Huang is a Chinese spy because she seems to be very powerful.
“The woman seems to be very powerful. And she is very powerful under the NPP because of the role she normally plays for them. She is part of the people who mobilize funds for them.
“There is even a picture of her and other Chinese nationals who helped the NPP raise funds and Bawumia is in that picture.
“If Aisha Huang is not well connected within the NPP circle, if the NPP sees Aisha Huang as not playing a role that is beneficial to them then the government of the day, Osafo-Maafo will not come and say that if she is not sent back to China, Ghana will not get the Sinohydro loan,” he said in Twi.
Before her current arrest, Aisha Huang was arrested and later deported with the state discontinuing the trial against her in 2018.
Justifying why the state had to deport the Chinese national, the former Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, addressing some concerns of Ghanaians in the diaspora at a town hall meeting on April 18, 2019, revealed that, “Putting [Aisha Huang] in jail in Ghana is not going to solve your money problem. It is not going to make you happy or me happy.”
“We have a very good relationship with China. The main company that is helping develop the infrastructure system in Ghana is Sinohydro; it is a Chinese Company. It is the one that is going to help process our bauxite and provide about $2 billion to us. So, when there are these kinds of arrangements, there are other things behind the scenes. There are many other things beyond what we see in these matters, and everybody is wide awake. The most important thing is that we established regulations and we are protecting our environment. That is far more important than one Chinese woman who has been deported back to her country,” he explained further,” he said.
Watch the interview below:
