The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has dragged former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, and Andy Thomas Owusu to court over alleged corruption related to illegal mining.
The OSP has levelled 15 counts of corruption-related offences against the two, accusing them of abusing public office for personal gain.
According to the charge sheet, Mr. Bissue allegedly received GHC15,000 from Bemanin Adjapong through Andy Owusu on January 22, 2019, in Accra, and corruptly abused his position as IMCIM Secretary by accepting the money to circumvent established procedures.
These procedures included verification of documents, acquisition of relevant permits, demarcation, and mapping of concessions, and vetting processes.
The OSP alleges that Mr. Bissue unlawfully fast-tracked the renewal of mining permits for specific operators, undermining lawful mining regulations during Ghana’s crackdown on illegal mining activities, popularly known as “galamsey”.
The charges against them include abuse of office, corruption, and efforts to undermine lawful mining regulations.
The case is expected to be a major test for the OSP’s renewed efforts to prosecute high-profile corruption cases, particularly those tied to the fight against illegal mining.