Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, declared that he would examine the validity of the trial court’s judgment to penalize well-known illicit miner Aisha Huang in accordance with the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2015 (Act 900).

He declared that he would file an appeal with the Court of Appeal against the ruling in order to guarantee that the accused receives the new sentencing guidelines established by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).

On Monday, December 4, 2023, Aisha Huang was sentenced to five years in prison for mining without a license. She was also fined GH¢48,000 by the court.

The judge considered the arguments presented by the prosecution and defense and found the accused guilty.

The defendant had previously been found not guilty of similar charges, but because the prosecution was based on an outdated legal system with a five-year maximum sentence, the judge could only sentence the accused to four years.

Such offenses carry a sentence of more than 20 years in prison under the new Act.

The Attorney General applauded the trial court’s choice to punish the accused under Act 900, but he intends to appeal the trial court’s ruling to the Court of Appeal in order to ensure that the accused person is sentenced in accordance with the new Act 995 sentencing guidelines.

In a press conference held on Tuesday, Mr. Dame urged Ghanaians to exercise caution when expressing their opinions regarding the verdict of Aisha Huang, the illegal miner.

This comes after some supposedly deceptive remarks made by members of the public in response to the ruling.

“The Attorney-General hereby, respectfully, entreats members of the public including lawyers, to be mindful of the facts stated above and desist from comments which not only jeopardise the sound and efficient administration of justice but also undermine the fight against illegal mining (galamsey),” the Attorney-General said.