OSP Drags Charles Bissue To Court Over ‘Galamsey Bribery’

Chatles Bissue and Kissi Adjebeng

Former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, has been dragged to court by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for allegedly taking money to influence the renewal of the mining licence of a company.

Charged alongside him is one Andy Thomas Owusu, who, according to the OSP facilitated the bribery and split the money with Mr. Bissue.

Court documents accuse Bissue of receiving GH¢35,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong for the purpose of circumventing established requirements of the IMCIM under its Road Map for Lifting of Ban on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (The Way Forward), 2018.

He is alleged to have ignored laid down procedures in respect of verification of documents, acquisition of relevant permits, demarcation and mapping of concessions, among others, to unlawfully secure a fast-tracked renewal of an expired mining licence to ORR Resources Enterprise without valid documentation.

Andy Thomas Owusu, on the other hand, is accused of receiving GH¢15,000 from the same Benjamin Adjapong for the purpose of unduly influencing Bissue in respect of the discharge of his duties as the Secretary of the IMCIM, to circumvent established requirements of the IMCIM in fast-tracking the renewal of an expired mining licence to ORR Resources Enterprise without valid documentation.

Charles Bissue has been charged with three counts of using public office for profit contrary to Section 179C (a) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and three counts of corruption by public officer.

Andy Thomas Owusu has also been charged with three counts of using public office for profit, three counts of corruption by a public officer and another three counts of accepting bribe.

BY Gibril Abdul Razak

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