Aisha Huang Accomplices Chose Blay’s Law Firm Due To His Relation With Gov’t; Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining Perceives

The Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining has perceived that the three alleged accomplices of Aisha Huang, have employed the services of the law firm of former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman, Freddie Blay due to his affiliation with the ruling government.

The group is unhappy about Mr Blay’s services to them and has therefore called on him to redraw.

It fears that the closeness of Mr Blay to the government could influence the judiciary.

“The reason why they did not choose any law firm than that of which he is the managing partner…is that he as a person is the former chairperson for the NPP, he has a close association with the current president”, he said.

He referenced that justice should not only be done but be seen to be done.

Mr Blay is representing Jong Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huiad Hiahu- who were arrested along with Chinese galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang this year for allegedly engaging in the sale of minerals without a licence and mining without a licence- in court.

Mr Blay has reacted to calls to redraw his service to the three, noting that his clients are innocent and deserve to be defended.

He noted that he finds nothing wrong with it given that his law firm does not represent the government.

He is quoted to have said during an interview that the perception of Ghanaians against his firm’s services to the accused is “a wrong” one. “The fact that my law firm is defending them does not mean that government supports and is involved in illegal mining. We all support efforts against galamsey. Personally, I am against galamsey.”

“This does not mean that innocent people should not be represented. Let’s wait for the court to decide. At the end of the day, we will know the truth, that my clients are innocent. They have done nothing wrong and are not involved in galamsey”, he added.

Mr Blay also noted that the suspects deserve representation in court just as murder, rape and robbery suspects are represented in court.

Responding to this in an interview on Eyewitness News, Convenor for the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Ken Asshigbey conceded that the accused must be represented, however, he held that an affiliate of the government which claims to be fighting against illegal mining in the country should not be the one providing legal services to them.

“He made some good points about the fact that it’s a law firm that is representing the culprits and that everybody is innocent until proven guilty”.

“Ordinarily, Mr Blay and his law firm deserve to be paid and the way they are paid is when they do these representations but it’s just {not} at this stage where we are in a crisis”, he stated.

He also chided Mr Blay for trivialising illegal mining.

“He tries to draw some parallel and try to make it as if murder, treason, and robbery is more grievous than galamsey but the point has to be made that galamsey is environmental terrorism that is killing a lot of people so the grievousness of galamsey is more than the murder of one particular person. I also will not take it from him as a law firm”.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini