Members of the Bepotenten Constituency Assembly in Amansie Central District, Ashanti Region, yesterday told the Accra High Court that found pits left behind by illegal mining activities of En Huang, alias Aisha Huang, have claimed the lives of residents.
Mathew Kwabla Abotsi, the prosecution’s seventh witness in the illegal mining kingpin trial, said that Aisha Huang’s illegal mining activities have affected the living conditions of the indigenous people.
He pointed out that the land mined by the accused was agricultural land which was never reclaimed, and the pits were not covered.
He cited for example the village of Opanin Mensah which is now full of galamsey sites, adding that “children and adults have fallen into the abyss and died.”
Aisha Huang was on trial for conducting illegal mining in Bepotenten in Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region without a valid license.
The Chinese national, who is often referred to as the ‘Galamsey Queen’, is also accused of illegally re-entering Ghana after being deported in 2019, and also of illegally working for foreign nationals.
Led in chief of evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, the witness told the court that the accused also continued illegal mining activities on roads used by residents to go to farms.
Mr. Abotsi said he personally went to the Aisha mining site in Sukuuumu to verify and address the situation, and at the site, he saw about twenty Chinese and Ghanaian mine workers, about six excavators, two washing plants and water around four. pumps are used.
“I verified the complaint I received and found that Aisha’s mining activities have been extended to the old road, and there is an uncovered pit filled with water like a dam near the road that still exists,” the witness said.
He said he took issue with the accused who had promised to build new roads and cover the dam. “A new road was built but the dam was left,” said the witness.
Mr Abotsi also told the court that Aisha Huang’s illegal mining activities are also polluting water bodies, forcing residents to rely on sachet water.
He said that as a result of the destruction of the water body, he as an assemblyman should approach Aisha Huang to ensure that she digs a well to replace the destroyed water source, which she did.
He presented photo evidence of a well built by Aisha Huang in Opanin Mensah Nkegbe village, to provide water to residents.
The witness also told the court that he knew Aisha since early 2016 in Gyaaman in Bepotenten, when the community at that time asked him to support the school building project.
“The elders of the Community asked for six thousand cedis as financial support for the project, and I know they gave it to him,” the witness said.
He said that Aisha later moved to Bepotenten with mining activities, and the community also approached him to support him to build a hole, but he failed to respect it.
Mr Abotsi said that Aisha then moved his illegal mining activities to Sukuumu in 2017, and the community also approached him to help him build a well.
“After the request, the accused agreed to the request of the Sukuumu community and started the well project but it was never completed,” said Mr Abotsi.
Source: dailyguidenetwork.com
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