The Criminal Division of the High Court today granted a crucial application by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to protect its first prosecution witness in the high-profile corruption trial of former Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) Secretary, Charles Bissue, and two others.

The court approved the OSP’s request for the witness to testify in camera (privately), citing a significant risk to the witness's life should their identity be publicly revealed.

The ruling, delivered by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, allows the undercover investigator—identified in court documents as Benjamin Agyepong—to give evidence without public exposure, a decision the OSP argued was necessary given the violence often associated with the multi-billion-dollar illegal mining (galamsey).

The Accused and the Charges

The trial involves three key figures from the now-dissolved IMCIM, charged with a total of eight counts relating to corruption and abuse of public office:

1. Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue (First Accused), former Secretary to the IMCIM, who faces six counts of corruption and abuse of public office. Specifically, he is charged with agreeing to allow his public office conduct to be influenced for private profit.
2. Raphael Mensah (Second Accused), former Systems Manager of the GalamStop software, charged with abetment of corruption and use of public office for profit.
3. Dr. Naa Dedei Tagoe (Third Accused), former Project Coordinator for IMCIM, also charged with abetment of corruption.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The core accusation alleges they bypassed IMCIM procedures to benefit a company deemed unqualified, with the case stemming from the investigative documentary "Galamsey Fraud Part I," published by Tiger Eye P.I..

Defense Opposition and Trial Date

Defense lawyers strongly opposed the application for confidential testimony, challenging the need for secrecy and questioning the authenticity of the undercover witness's employment.

They argued that constitutional principles of transparency and public access to trials should not be compromised without stronger justification.

The defense also opposed a separate prosecution request seeking to allow an investigative journalist involved in the media exposé to give evidence.

The court, however, invoked legal provisions under Article 19(5) of the Constitution and Section 102 of the Courts Act, which permit the exclusion of the public to safeguard the safety of persons involved. The trial has been formally adjourned to 12 January 2026 for proceedings to commence under the secured conditions.

Broader Implications and Anti-Corruption Fight

The OSP's decision to pursue this case—despite Mr. Bissue's prior unsuccessful legal attempts to halt the investigation and arrest—is seen as a critical test of the agency’s capacity to prosecute high-level corruption linked to illegal mining.

Success in such anti-corruption drives is paramount for Ghana's economy, as illicit mining not only causes severe environmental degradation (polluting water bodies and destroying vast tracts of cocoa and farm lands) but also results in massive revenue loss that could otherwise fund public services.

The scale of the corruption involved underscores why witnesses require extraordinary protection, drawing parallels to the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale.

The resources potentially recovered from successful corruption prosecutions could directly address national shortfalls, such as funding the immediate employment of thousands of unposted graduate nurses and midwives whose association is currently planning protests over years of joblessness.