An Accra High Court has granted a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties, one to be justified to Charles Bissue, a former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) and one Andy Thomas Owusu.
They are standing trial for 15 counts of corruption-related offences, including abuse of office for profit. Both accused persons pleaded not guilty.
The accused persons were to deposit their passports with the Registry of the Court and to report to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) once every month.
The case has been adjourned to May 29, 2025, for a Case Management Conference.
According to the charge sheets, Bissue was accused of using his public office for profit, contrary to Section 179C(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
It was alleged that he received GH₵15,000 from one Bemanin Adjapong through Owusu on or around January 22, 2019, in Accra.
The OSP alleged 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 was alleged to have unlawfully fast-tracked the renewal of mining permits for specific operators.
The 15-count charge sheet details multiple offences involving the abuse of office, corruption, and efforts to undermine lawful mining regulations at the peak of Ghana’s crackdown on illegal mining activities, popularly known as “galamsey”.
GNA
