A High Court in Accra has reportedly postponed the hearing of the case between the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and Charles Bissue, the ex-secretary to the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), after a plea by the former.

Charles Bissue sued the OSP to stop it from investigating him in a probe where he is accused of corruption-related offences regarding the expenditure of the IMCIM.

In a post shared on X on October 17, 2023, the OSP indicated that the case was postponed to Wednesday, November 1, 2023, after a former petition by Bissue.

“The legal representative of Mr Bissue formally petitioned the court for a hearing rescheduling to November 1, 2023. Consequently, the case was postponed to the specified date. Mr. Bissue was in court today,” parts of the post reads.

The OSP also stated that the former secretary to the dissolved IMCIM) wants renowned investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas included in the probe against him.

It added that Bissue argues that Anas must be included because he offered a bribe in the illegal small-scale mining document which is the basis of the probe against him.

“This case aims to halt the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) from further investigating him and to obtain a legal order preventing the OSP from pursuing any investigations or prosecutions against him unless investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas is also included in the inquiry.

“His claim is that Tiger Eye and Anas Aremeyaw Anas were involved in offering an alleged bribe in the Galamsey fraud Part 1 documentary,” the OSP said.

Background:

The OSP commenced investigations into alleged corruption and corruption-related offences in connection with illegal small-scale mining popularly known as galamsey.

According to a statement issued on the website of the Special Prosecutor, the investigation targets some state institutions as well as the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining.

“The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has commenced an investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of illegal small-scale mining. The investigation targets some officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission. It also targets the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), especially in respect of the seizure and management of excavators, machinery, road vehicles, and gold nuggets,” the statement issued by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng on Monday, October 10, 2022, said.

According to the OSP, the investigation also targets some individuals and private companies including the secretary of the IMCIM, Charles Bissue and Akonta Mining Company Limited belonging to the New Patriotic Party’s Regional Chairman for Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Wontumi.

“The investigation includes the active and ongoing inquiry into allegations of use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue, during his tenure as Secretary to the IMCIM, arising from an investigative documentary titled; 'Galamsey Fraud Part I', published by Tiger Eye P.I.

“The investigation further targets the activities of Akonta Mining Limited and other companies; nationals of foreign countries allegedly involved in illegal mining; and allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences against some Municipal and District Chief Executives and political party officials,” the statement said.

The OSP previously arrested Charles Bissue and released him on the same day on bail.

View the statement by the OSP below:

Case update

Charles Bissue v. OSP (Civil case) HR/0098/2023

The legal representative of Mr. Bissue formally petitioned the court for a hearing rescheduling to November 1, 2023. Consequently, the case was postponed to the specified date. Mr. Bissue was in court today.

This…

— Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) October 17, 2023