An alleged illegal miner, Aisha Huang says she was not told that she could not re-enter Ghana after her repatriation.
Aisha Huang also told an Accra High Court that she could not tell the exact date she re-entered Ghana, but said it was in July 2022.
She disagreed with the prosecution led by Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), that because her stay in Ghana was illegal, she went ahead to obtain a non-citizen Ghana Card.
“If I knew I was illegally in Ghana, I could not have entered Ghana to apply for a non-citizen Ghana Card,” the accused person said.
When the prosecution told Aisha that she was in Ghana to continue with her illegal activities, she broke down in tears.
Her tears, however, drew a warning from the trial Judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, saying “Stop the interjection with tears. It does not do anything to me. I have developed a thick skin over such gestures.
“Today should be the last time you are crying in court. If you want to cry, cry in prison before you come to court. Is somebody beating her? If she cries again then it’s deliberate.”
Answering questions under further cross-examination, Aisha said when she re-entered Ghana, she applied for a National Identification Card and COVID-19 Vaccination Card.
According to the accused person, someone took her to a facility, and she took her COVID-19 vaccination.
When the prosecution suggested to Aisha that she took her vaccination on April 24, 2022, she said she could not tell the date.
According to the witness, when she re-entered Ghana, she resided at Ahowdwo, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region.
Aisha disagreed with the prosecution that she deliberately moved to Tamale in the Northern Region to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination Card although she was residing in Kumasi.
The accused person told the court that she travelled to Tamale in search of someone who owed her.
According to her, while in Tamale, she took advantage of the opportunity to obtain her COVID-19 Vaccination Card.
She disagreed with the prosecution that she had applied for a new Ghana Card so she could stay in Ghana.
Aisha’s lawyer objected to the tendering of the National Identification Authority (NIA) application through Aisha.
According to Miracle Atachi, one of Aisha’s lawyers, the NIA application form should be tendered through officials of the Authority and not through Aisha.
The trial judge in her ruling held that Aisha had just admitted that she signed the application form and admitted her name was on it.
It said sufficient explanation had been made in respect of the NIA application form. The form was, therefore, tendered through Aisha, and the same was admitted in evidence.
Aisha told the court that when she informed officials of the NIA that she had changed her, she was asked to go to Court to have it effected.
The accused said she, however, did not know the procedure by which the court conducted the change of name.
Meanwhile, the hearing continues on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.
Aisha is being held on the charges of undertaking illegal mining operations without a license, facilitating the participation of persons to engage in illegal mining and re-entering Ghana though prohibited.
She has denied the charges and the court has remanded her into lawful custody.
Source: GNA
