The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has slapped 15 corruption-related charges on Charles Bissue, former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), and one Andy Thomas Owusu.
Filed at the High Court, the charges accuse the duo of abusing public office for personal gain in illegal mining operations.
In the first count, Mr. Bissue is accused of using his public office for profit, contrary to Section 179C(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to the charge sheet, he allegedly received GHC15,000 from one Bemanin Adjapong through Andy Owusu on or around January 22, 2019, in Accra.
The OSP alleges that Bissue corruptly abused his position as IMCIM Secretary by accepting the money to circumvent established procedures outlined in the Committee’s 2018 “Road Map for Lifting of Ban on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining.” These procedures included the verification of documents, acquisition of relevant permits, demarcation and mapping of concessions, and vetting processes.
Through this action, Bissue is alleged to have unlawfully fast-tracked the renewal of mining permits for specific operators.
The OSP claims this fast-tracked permit renewals for certain miners, undermining Ghana’s anti-galamsey fight.
The high-profile case is seen as a key test of the OSP’s commitment to fighting corruption.
 has slapped 15 corruption-related charges on Charles Bissue, former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), and one Andy Thomas Owusu.){kind=link}