The Attorney General’s Department and the defence counsel in the trial of Aisha Huang – a Chinese galamsey queen in Ghana – and four others have rejected a Chinese interpreter who has been invited by the court for the commencement of the trial.
The parties said for the purposes of fair trial, they want a Ghanaian-Chinese interpreter instead of a full Chinese national.
According to the Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Yvonne Obuobisa, the State do not understand the Chinese dialect and if allowed to give interpretations, only he and the accused persons will understand.
Her point was corroborated by the defense Counsel led by Bernard Owiredu Donkor.
Mr. Young Chin York, who is a law student and expected to be called to the BAR in October was, however, thanked for coming and assured that whenever his services are requirement he will be invited.
The case has been adjourned to July 21.
Background
The Obuasi Municipal Office of the Ghana Immigration Service arrested the four Chinese nationals on suspicion of engaging in illegal Mining at Bepotenteng in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region in May this year.
They were picked up in a make-shift wooden structure in the area noted for illegal mining by Chinese nationals.
They were working for a Chinese woman, Aisha Huang, alias Yaa Asantewa who owns mining concessions in the area.
They were identified as Gao Jin Chec, 45; Lu Qi Jun, 39; Haibin Gao, 26 and Zhang Zhi Peng, 23 and they have since been sent to Kumasi for further investigations.
