Aisha Huang, also known as the 'galamsey queen', has been sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison and fined GH₵48,000 for illegal mining activities. The Accra High Court announced the verdict on Monday, December 4, 2023.
The Chinese national was found guilty of undertaking mining operations without a license, facilitating illegal mining activities, employing foreigners illegally, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry. Huang has denied involvement in illegal mining, but state prosecutors have strongly opposed her claims.
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Deputy Attorney General, Alfred-Tuah Yeboah, has stated that Huang will be deported after serving her sentence. She was accused of engaging in illegal mining activities in the Ashanti Region and was previously deported in 2018. However, she reportedly returned to Ghana clandestinely to continue her alleged illegal mining operations.
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In October 2022, the Attorney General decided to prosecute Huang for the crimes she committed before her deportation and new offenses since her re-entry into the country. She initially pleaded not guilty but later changed her plea to guilty for entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry after entering into a Plea Bargaining agreement with the State.
The prosecution claimed that Huang had an illegal mining concession in the Ashanti Region and operated a mining support services company. The court agreed with prosecutors that she abused the hospitality extended to her, leading to her conviction.
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