Galamsey: Minority Leader moves to summon Lands, Interior, Defense, and Attorney General to brief Parliament

Minority Leader in Parliament is urging the Speaker to summon the Lands, Defence, and Interior Ministers and the Attorney General to brief the House on steps taken to end illegal mining.

Haruna Iddrisu says Attorney General Godfred Dame will also be required to update the House on the arrest and prosecution of Chinese ‘galamsey’ kingpin Aisha Huang.

An Accra High Court on Monday, October 24 ordered the Attorney General to file disclosures and other documents in relation to the trial of En Huang, aka Aisha Huang, alleged to be involved in illegal mining. 

This will enable the court to commence with the Case Management Conference and pre-trial at the next sitting. 

Aisha is being held on the charges of undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in mining. 

She is additionally being held over illegal employment of foreign nationals and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry. 

The prosecution said Aisha had gained “notoriety” for engaging in a series of small-scale mining activities known as ‘galamsey’ across the country. 

It said in 2017, Aisha was arrested for a similar offence, but she managed to sneak out of the country, averting prosecution, and had allegedly commenced small-scale mining activities without a license. 

But contributing to the business statement in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu said the House requires a thorough briefing on the matter because of the devastation illegal mining is causing the environment.

“What is the state of it [galamsey] and where are we with it? With the pollution of our water bodies and environment, we need the ministers to come and explain to the House the status of the fight.

“More especially the trial of Aisha Haung because this country must be governed by the rule of law,” he said.

Source: Ghana News