Court Orders Re-Arrest Of 2 ‘Freed’ Illegal Chinese Miners

An Accra High Court has ordered the re-arrest of two Chinese Nationals accused of engaging in illegal mining after it emerged they were unable to meet their bail conditions.

The two – Gao Jin Cheng, 45 and Lu Qi Jun, 39 – together with Aisha Huang and two others were granted a GHS 500,000 bail with one surety two weeks ago.

Per the bail conditions, the suspects were to hand over their passports and all other travelling documents to the Court’s Registrar for onward transfer to the Director General of the Ghana Immigration Service.

But as Joy News’ Joseph Ackah-Blay reports from court on Friday, these two men are yet to meet the bail conditions although they have already been released.

The presiding judge, Justice Charles Edward Ekow Baiden did not find the development flattering.

He questioned how the two suspects were released when they had not met the bail conditions.

“I am asking you, how you managed to get them free even though they failed to meet the bail conditions. You are an officer of the court and could have applied for variation when you were faced with a challenge,” he queried the State Attorney.

He then rescinded the bail granted the two, directing that they be re-arrested and taken back to the Nsawam prison where they had been kept prior to the court granting the bail.

Justice Baiden ordered that they remain in the prisons until they are able to submit their passports as directed earlier.

But one of the lawyers for the suspects Bernard Owiredu told the court the two misplaced their passports on the day they were arrested.

He said the Court Registrar and Immigration officers had been duly informed about the development.

The two men were arrested immediately after the proceedings.

Hearing of the case continues on July 6, 2017 where the State is expected to open its case.

Credit: myjoyonline.com