The government has never exchanged the agreement of Aisha Huang against Sino Hydro – Minister | Policy

On Thursday, the government said that the Chinese national Aisha Huang, sued for participating in an illegal mining activity, was not evicted in exchange for the Sino-Hydro Bauxite agreement of two billion dollars for the infrastructure development.

Mr. Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, at a press conference in Accra, said that it was not only Aisha who had been deported; but 194 other foreigners since the ban on "Galamsey" in 2017, as part of efforts to restore the mental health of the system.

Among them were Nigerians, Burkinabes, Malians and Chinese. "We did not sacrifice Aisha Huang or exchange it for a Sino-hydro loan," he said. "This lady was in Ghana before the agreement reached with the Chinese government in order to obtain financial badistance from them.

"And no government official thought of protecting her or pampering her in one way or another, so that she could perpetrate the illegal extraction that She was found in Ghana, "said the minister.
However, the Minister explained that the Attorney General had the authority to file in the court a record without complaint allowing him to file the case without disclosing the reason or the reason for it, adding that it was not necessary so was not the first time that a trial involving a stranger was being tried. had been truncated in Ghana.

The minister's comments followed comments made by high-ranking premier Yaw Osafo-Maafo at a recent public meeting in the United States, which has been interpreted by critics to mean Aisha Huang's imprisonment would not serve the interests of the nation, given the good relations between Ghana and China, especially with regard to the Sino-hydro deal.

The Prime Minister's comments have been widely condemned by the public, particularly members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who ask him to apologize or resign.

Taking stock of the measures taken by the government to prevent illegal miners from continuing to pollute the water plans, the Minister of Lands said that 220 mine guards had been trained at the training academy. police in Ghana and would soon be deployed to the different mining communities to: maintain mental health in the area.

Up to now, about 300 excavators have been confiscated from illegal miners; while Ghanaians and foreigners are tried by various courts of the country.

Asomah-Cheremeh said the World Bank has pledged to support the government with $ 100 million for the implementation of the integrated multi-sector mining project.

In the same spirit, the Deputy Minister of Lands in charge of Mines was in France to sign the necessary documents to secure funds.

Asked whether the ministry was aware that members of Operation Vanguard, the joint security working group against Galamsey, were helping foreigners to engage in illegal mining activities, Asomah-Cheremeh said that no concrete evidence had been adduced to support this statement and congratulated the working group. their efforts to minimize the threat.

On December 19, the government lifted the ban on small-scale mining and asked all certified small-scale miners to register their concessions and equipment with the Minerals Commission and the Interministerial Committee against Mining. Illegal mining.