The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has charged former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue; and Andy Thomas Owusu with 15 counts of corruption-related offences.
The charges filed at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra on April 28, 2025, allege that between January and February 2019, while serving as IMCIM Secretary, Charles Bissue allegedly accepted a total of GH¢35,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong, directly and through Owusu, to fast-track the renewal of an expired mining license for ORR Resources Enterprise.
According to court documents sighted by GhanaWeb on Monday, April 28, 2025, Charles Bissue faces nine counts, including Using Public Office for Profit under Section 179C(a) of Act 29 for receiving GH¢15,000 on January 22, GH¢10,000 on January 30, and another GH¢10,000 on February 8 to bypass IMCIM vetting processes.
He is also charged with Corruption by a Public Officer under Sections 239(1) and (3) of Act 29 (as amended by Act 1034) for accepting bribes to influence official duties.
Andy Owusu faces six counts, including aiding Bissue under Section 179C(b) for acting as a middleman to facilitate payments, as well as Corruption of a Public Officer and Accepting Bribes to Influence Bissue under Sections 239(2) and 252(1).
These charges relate to GH¢5,000 payouts he allegedly received in Kumasi for falsely claiming he could secure favours from Bissue.
The OSP’s investigation also revealed that Andy Owusu, in a sting operation by Tiger Eye PI, allegedly negotiated a GH¢100,000 bribe (later reduced to GH¢40,000 each) with Adjapong, who posed as a representative of ORR Resources.
Charles Bissue allegedly received GH¢35,000, while Andy Owusu also took GH¢15,000, allegedly according to the prosecution.
Background
The IMCIM, which was established in 2017 to combat illegal mining (galamsey), was dissolved in 2021 following corruption scandals, including Bissue’s alleged involvement in the misappropriation of 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.
Charles 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 the 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 added that no warrant had been issued, and dismissed the claim as a figment of the imagination of Bissue, awarding costs of GH¢10,000 against him.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
