Former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, has responded to the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) decision to take legal action against him and Mr. Andy Thomas Owusu.
The charges, which relate to the “Galamsey Fraud” scandal exposed in a 2019 investigative report by Tiger Eye P.I., include allegations of misusing public office for personal gain and corruption.
In a press statement released on April 29, 2025, Mr. Bissue vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he had always acted in accordance with the legal and ethical obligations of his office and the laws of Ghana.
He described the allegations as “baseless” and pledged to vigorously defend himself through due process.
Mr. Bissue welcomed the OSP’s decision to proceed with the case after over five years of investigations, calling for transparency and fairness in the proceedings.
He specifically requested that the OSP present an unedited and unaltered version of the investigative video as evidence, emphasizing the need for Ghanaians to have access to the “unvarnished truth and factual evidence, free from distortion.”
Acknowledging the political context of the prosecution, which comes under a new government, Mr. Bissue expressed hope that the proceedings would remain impartial.
He emphasized the importance of allowing all parties to present evidence and have the facts evaluated fairly, without bias.
Mr. Bissue also appealed to the public to refrain from passing premature judgment and to respect the legal process. He stressed the need for justice rooted in transparency and the rule of law, saying that the facts should be allowed to speak for themselves.
Read below the full statement 