Politics of Wednesday, 12 October 2022

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

There won’t be a miscarriage of justice - NPP on Freddie Blay's role in Aisha Huang trial

NPP Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah NPP Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah

The governing New Patriotic Party, NPP, is of the view that justice will be served in the matter involving the state versus Aisha Huang and four others in a case involving illegal small-scale mining activities. This according to the party is despite the fact that lawyers affiliated with it are representing the accused persons. Speaking on Accra-based Joy FM, the party’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah maintained that the court will at all times deal with evidence put before it by parties to the case. He contended further that it was within the right of an accused person to get legal representation in court and consequently it was also right for the NPP-affiliated lawyers to render professional services to such persons. “If it is a matter of conscience then we should say that there shouldn’t be legal representation for criminals or for somebody who has killed somebody or is alleged to have killed somebody. As conscience will dictate, we should all abhor such behavior and therefore no lawyer as matter of conscience should want to defend any such act “I don’t think there will be any miscarriage of justice because the lawyers in the case are NPP related or have affiliations with the New Patriotic Party. The idea is that every client deserves a representation. “Our laws allows for that, so the client have exercised their right to have legal representation and those happens to be people affiliated with the NPP. I don’t think that necessarily changes the rules of the court which is evidence,” Ahiagbah said. It emerged that former NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay, is the main lawyer for Aisha Huang’s accomplices namely Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibin Go and Zhang Zhipeng, in the prosecution. Aisha Huang together with her four other accomplices made a court appearance yesterday October 11 for the state to continue with their prosecution. Private attorney Lucy Ekeleba Blay said in court that she was holding brief for Freddie Blay in the case of the four accomplices. Another NPP affiliated lawyer, Nkrabea Effah Darteh is representing Aisha Huang. Meanwhile, Attorney General Godfred Dame has indicated his readiness to fast-track the prosecution of Aisha Huang for her past and previous crimes. Ms. Huang and her accomplices have been remanded into custody until November 24, 2022 following the judge's refusal to grant them bail. You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: DS/SARA