'Unpopular, morally subversive' - NPP footsoldiers slam Freddie Blay over galamsey clients

The immediate past National Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay has come under critique over his relationship with alleged illegal small-scale miners. Blay was revealed this week as the lawyer for four persons involved in the activity known as galamsey. All four are co-accused persons in the trial of infamous galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang. A pro-NPP group, the Alliance For Footsoldiers Advocacy (AFFA) has waded into the issue demanding that the former chairman rescinds his decision in the face of the perception that is likely to be projected off the party at large. Their statement of October 12, 2022, said Blay's action was "unpopular, morally subversive and a direct slap of the face of President Akufo-Addo's fight against illegal mining." It also noted in part: “Freddie Blay’s political status vis-à-vis, former National Chairman of the ruling party and Board Chairman of GNPC imposes a tacit obligation of due diligence, moral reflection and principle of public perception on him, considering the level of public interest in the Aisha Huang case.” AFFA, therefore, called on the one-time Member of Parliament for Ellembele to, “as a matter of urgency, cease holding himself as the lawyer for the suspected Chinese illegal miners.” It also cautioned NPP lawyers to be cautious about which cases they accepted especially with relation to galamsey clients. In an interview earlier this week, Blay defended his decision to defend the quartet but is on record to have said that he will back down if President Akufo-Addo intervenes. 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 Dartey 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: SARA/PEN