The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed 15 criminal charges against Charles Bissue, former Secretary of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), and his alleged accomplice, Andy Thomas Owusu, for corruption and abuse of public office in a mining licensing scandal involving GHC35,000.

The charges, filed at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra on April 28, allege that between January and February 2019, Mr Bissue, while serving as IMCIM Secretary, corruptly accepted bribes totaling GHC35,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong, directly and through Owusu, to fast-track the renewal of an expired mining license for ORR Resources Enterprise without proper documentation.

• Read also: Human Rights Court throws out Charles Bissue’s charge against OSP

The charges include multiple counts against both accused. Bissue faces nine counts, including Using Public Office for Profit under Section 179C(a) of Act 29 for receiving GHC15,000 on January 22, GHC10,000 on January 30, and another GHC10,000 on February 8 to bypass IMCIM vetting processes.

He is also charged with Corruption by a Public Officer under Sections 239(1) & (3) of Act 29 (as amended by Act 1034) for accepting bribes to influence official duties.

Mr Owusu faces six counts, including Aiding Bissue’s Corruption under Section 179C(b) for acting as a middleman to facilitate payments, as well as Corruption of a Public Officer and Accepting Bribes to Influence Bissue under Sections 239(2) & 252(1).

These charges relate to GHC5,000 payouts he allegedly received in Kumasi for falsely claiming he could secure favors from Bissue.

The OSP’s investigation revealed that Mr Owusu, in a sting operation by Tiger Eye P.I., negotiated a GHC100,000 bribe (later reduced to GHC40,000 each) with Adjapong, who posed as an ORR Resources representative.

Mr Bissue ultimately received GHC35,000, while Mr Owusu pocketed GHC15,000, per the prosecution.

In return, Bissue allegedly issued fraudulent permits and stickers declaring ORR Resources compliant with mining laws.

The IMCIM, established in 2017 to combat illegal mining (galamsey), was dissolved in 2021 after corruption scandals, including Bissue’s alleged involvement in misappropriating excavators and gold nuggets.

In November 2024, the Human Rights Court dismissed the final in a series of suits filed by Charles Bissue aimed at preventing the Office of the Special Prosecutor from arresting, investigating, or charging him.

Mr Bissue had previously obtained a 10-day ex parte injunction restraining the OSP from arresting him, alleging that the warrant issued was unlawfully procured and intended to harass him.

He also sought a declaration that a notice marking him as wanted was void.

In its judgment, the Court found Bissue’s claims entirely unfounded, stating there was no evidence to support his allegations. The central question was whether an arrest warrant had indeed been issued by the Kaneshie District Court for OSP against Bissue.

The Court ruled that it was Bissue’s responsibility to provide proof of such a warrant, which he failed to do.

The Judge concluded that no warrant had been issued and dismissed the claim as a figment of the imagination of Bissue and awarded costs of GHC10,000 against him.

This ruling cleared the path for the OSP to continue its investigations into Mr Bissue’s involvement with the defunct IMCIM and in another separate case pursue charges related to allegations of corruption as depicted in the Tiger Eye P.I. documentary Galamsey Fraud Part 1.