Former President John Mahama has opened up on challenges he faced with Chinese nationals and illegal mining during his tenure of office.
Stating he values good relationships with other countries, he, however, indicated he deported almost 5,000 Chinese who were engaged in illegal mining at the time.
“When I was president, we valued the relations with China but I didn’t say because of the good relationship we have with China, we should allow them to continue to engage in illicit activities,” Mr Mahama disclosed this in an interview on Accra-based TV3.
The deportation he indicated was in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy who obtained Boeing 747s to fly their people out of Ghana.
His comment is in connection with the controversies about the return, arrest and possible prosecution of Chinese galamsey queen, Aisha Huang in Ghana follwoing her deportation in 2018.
The former President stressed foreigners must be punished when they break the law just as it is done to citizens in and out of Ghana.
“If you are a Ghanaian and you go to China and you engage in illegality, they don’t say because of the good relation they have with Ghana, they are going to let you go scot-free.
“You are going to face the full rigours of the law in China and I don’t doubt that there are some of our citizens in jail in China,” he said.
