The Convener for the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining has expressed his displeasure at the slow rate the State was handling cases involving individuals and political party officials suspected of corruption relating to illegal mining.

According to Ken Ashigbey, cases involving people with links to people in political offices seem to be deliberately delayed and handled with biases.

“This is a case where the evidence is overwhelming, there is a minister who has made a claim against a company, the minerals commission, the regulators have also re-enforced that particular claim, there is evidence, there is media reportage, there is mineral footage and you still have this case still being investigated for this long,” he said on Thursday.

Speaking on Topstory on JoyFM, he explained that more people were linked to the case, therefore he was expecting that the same way Professor Frimpong Boateng and Charles Bissue are been treated, all others involved are also metered the same treatment.

“It is important that we keep the pressure on and we let the police know it is important they do what is right and when people who seemingly with all the evidence that’s available have done wrong and sinned against the minerals and mining act, the state should be acting the way it ought to act.

"So that it does not tell those on the field that once you are politically connected then you can have a field day and do what you ought to do.

“Over 13 acres of land has been destroyed in the Tano Nimri Forest Reserve. It is sad that this case is dragging but we want to take the assurance given to us by the superintendent of police that we met today that we will see some prosecutions happening,” he added.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/luv-news-uncovers-degradation-of-tano-nimri-forest-reserve/

However, he was hopeful that the new director general of the Criminal Investigation Department and the Attorney General will bring the culprits to book.

Earlier on this day, the Office of the Special Prosecutor secured an order from the court to arrest the former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

This order was secured after Mr Bissue failed to honour an invitation by the Special Prosecutor last month.

The OSP, on May 3, wrote to Mr. Bissue informing him he was a necessary person for the investigation into the activities of the IMCIM.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/special-prosecutor-secures-court-order-to-arrest-charles-bissue/

Meanwhile, Mr Bissue has gone to the High Court to stop the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) from investigating him over suspected corruption and corruption-related offences involving a public officer.

According to him, an investigation cannot be launched when a copy of the petition forming the basis of the investigation has not been given to him.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/charles-bissue-asks-court-to-stop-osp-from-investigating-him-again/

Background

The OSP, in December last year, announced that it was investigating indigenous mining firm, Akonta Mining Limited, Mr Bissue, some officials of the Lands Commission, Forestry Commission, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, some mining entities, individuals and political party officials over suspected corruption relating to illegal mining.

A statement signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, and issued in Accra on December 10 last year, said Mr Bissue was already being investigated on allegations that he used his office for private gain.

“The investigation includes the active and ongoing enquiry into allegations of use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue during his tenure as Secretary to the IMCIM, arising from an investigative documentary titled ‘Galamsey Fraud Part I’ published by Tiger Eye P.I.,” the statement said.

But Mr. Bissue has refuted all allegations made in the documentary against him.

“As I have said countless times that money was not a bribe and I did not make any demands whatsoever from any operative or beneficiary of illegal mining while I served on the IMCIM,” he said in a recent statement.

Subsequently, in July 2019, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service exonerated Mr Bissue from any wrongdoing or allegation of corruption.

The CID concluded that the documentary which was aired was not a true reflection of what transpired between Mr. Bissue and one Yaw Ben of ORR Resource Enterprise.

“The CID investigations primarily relied on the documentary and other sources, as already indicated, but the lead investigator of the Tiger Eye documentary, Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas, failed to avail himself to assist in investigations and also failed to provide a copy of the unedited version of the documentary,” the CID report said.