The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has accepted the plea bargain proposal by Andy Thomas Owusu, the second accused in the corruption-related case involving Charles Bissue, a former Secretary of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng revealed this during a press briefing on Monday, June 2, 2025.

"Andy Thomas Owusu, the second accused, has since negotiated a plea bargain with the OSP,
which has been filed in court. The processes in respect of the plea bargain, which are restitutive
and reparative in nature, would be concluded in court in the coming days," he explained.

The Special Prosecutor accepted Andy Thomas Owusu’s offer of restitution and reparation to the
Republic on the following considerations in accordance with section 71(4) of the Office of the
Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959):
i. The history of Mr. Owusu with respect to criminal activity.
ii. The level of cooperation Mr. Owusu exhibited during the investigation.
iii. The likelihood of obtaining a conviction if the case proceeds to trial.
iv. The probable effect on witnesses of a trial.
v. The need to avoid delay in the disposition of other pending cases.

Prior to this, the Accra High Court had granted a one-week adjournment on May 29 in the significant corruption prosecution to allow completion of the plea bargain.

State prosecutors had informed Justice Kwame Asante's court that substantive discussions were underway with legal representatives for businessman Andy Thomas Owusu, who faces multiple corruption-related charges alongside former government official Charles Bissue, to complete the process.

Background

The two are standing trial over their alleged involvement in 15 criminal charges filed by the OSP.

The charges were filed at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra on April 28, alleging that between January and February 2019, Mr Bissue, while serving as Secretary of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), corruptly accepted bribes totalling GH₵35,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong, directly and through Owusu, to fast-track the renewal of an expired mining licence for a mining company, ORR Resources Enterprise, without proper documentation.

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

It is in relation to the widely publicised 'Galamsey Fraud' investigation, as documented in the 2019 Tiger Eye P.I. report.

Even though Mr Bissue was initially cleared by the previous government, the OSP reopened the case and has proceeded with criminal prosecutions.

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 judgement, 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.