Chinese ‘galamsey queen’ Asia Huang has been granted bail in the sum of GHC 500,000 by an Accra High Court.

She is to provide two sureties.

The other four accused persons must meet this condition.

 

All five are additionally required to report to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) or a person’s assigned by him twice a week.

Same is to be done with the Director of the Ghana Immigration Service with a further order asking them to hand over their passports.

Ruling

Presiding judge, Justice Charles Ekow Baiden in delivering his ruling said the prosecution had failed to demonstrate how the accused persons will interfere with investigations if granted bail.

He said, simply claiming it is possible for one to interfere was not adequate and that prosecution ought to have told the court the aspects of investigations outstanding and how that could be compromised.

Justice Baiden however, rejected the medical condition argument.

He said evidence adduced did not show a life threatening condition that needed attention that could not be provided by the Prisons Service.

Justice Baiden has fixed June 16 for trial to continue warning, he wouldn’t tolerate unnecessary adjournments.

Ms Huang and four other Chinese (Gao Jin Cheng, 45, Lu Qi Jun, 39, Haibin Gao, 26, and Zhang Zhi Peng, 23) are standing trial for allegedly engaging in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey).

The five were arrested by the GIS and have been held in prison custody for almost a month.

They were denied bail on two previous appearances in court.

At the last hearing on May 23, Ms Huang cried and bang her fist when she was denied bail.