Former Secretary of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, has reiterated his innocence over 15 criminal charges levelled against him and his alleged accomplice, Andy Thomas Owusu, for corruption and abuse of public office.
“For the record, I categorically assert that I have always acted in full compliance with
both the legal and ethical obligations of the office I held and the laws of the Republic
of Ghana. Any suggestion of misconduct is baseless and will be vigorously challenged
through due process,” Mr Bissue responded barely 24 hours after the case was filed in court, via a press release.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) filed the criminal charges on April 28, in relation to the
widely publicised ‘Galamsey Fraud’ investigation, as documented in the 2019 Tiger
Eye P.I. report.
Even though Mr Bissue was initially cleared by the previous government, the OSP reopened the case and has proceeded with criminal prosecutions.
The charges, filed at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra, allege that between January and February 2019, Mr Bissue, while serving as IMCIM Secretary, corruptly accepted bribes totalling GHC35,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong, directly and through Owusu, to fast-track the renewal of an expired mining licence for ORR Resources Enterprise without proper documentation.
In return, Bissue allegedly issued fraudulent permits and stickers declaring ORR Resources compliant with mining laws.
Mr Bissue, who is preparing to defend himself in court, says, “I welcome the OSP’s decision to proceed with this case after more than five years of deliberation. To ensure transparency and fairness, I expect the OSP to submit to the court a complete, unedited, and unaltered version of the video documentary
referenced in these proceedings. Ghanaians deserve access to the unvarnished truth
and factual evidence, free from distortion or misdirection by external narratives or
selective interpretations”.
The former presidential staffer under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government added: “I remain fully committed to cooperating with the proceedings and trust that the courts will adjudicate this matter impartially and conclusively.”
He believes the timing of the prosecution, “occurring under a different government than the one
in which I previously served, shows the importance of impartial judicial proceedings”.
“It is my sincere hope that this process will allow all parties an equitable opportunity
to present evidence and that the facts will be evaluated fairly, without bias.
Above all, I firmly believe that the pursuit of truth and justice must prevail. I urge
the public to respect the legal process and refrain from premature judgments. The
people of Ghana deserve transparency, accountability, and a resolution rooted in the
rule of law,” he stressed.
The IMCIM, established in 2017 to combat illegal mining (galamsey), was dissolved in 2021 after corruption scandals, including Bissue’s alleged involvement in misappropriating excavators and gold nuggets.
In November 2024, the Human Rights Court dismissed the final in a series of suits filed by Charles Bissue aimed at preventing the Office of the Special Prosecutor from arresting, investigating, or charging him.
Mr Bissue had previously obtained a 10-day ex parte injunction restraining the OSP from arresting him, alleging that the warrant issued was unlawfully procured and intended to harass him.
He also sought a declaration that a notice marking him as wanted was void.
In its judgment, the court found Bissue’s claims entirely unfounded, stating there was no evidence to support his allegations. The central question was whether an arrest warrant had indeed been issued by the Kaneshie District Court for OSP against Bissue.
The court ruled that it was Bissue’s responsibility to provide proof of such a warrant, which he failed to do.
The judge concluded that no warrant had been issued and dismissed the claim as a figment of the imagination of Bissue and awarded costs of GHC10,000 against him.
This ruling cleared the path for the OSP to continue its investigations into Mr Bissue’s involvement with the defunct IMCIM and, in another separate case, pursue charges related to allegations of corruption as depicted in the Tiger Eye P.I. documentary Galamsey Fraud Part 1.
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