Charles Bissue is released on bail and reports to the Office of Special Prosecutor

Charles Bissue, a former secretary of the disbanded Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), has informed the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

He arrived at the workplace earlier today, Wednesday, June 21, about 11:45, according to a press release.

According to the declaration made by Kissi Agyebeng, Mr. Bissue was detained right away after his arrival and questioned.

Since then, bail has been granted for him.

This comes roughly two weeks after the OSP started looking for the former presidential aide to question him about his participation in the anti-galamsey committee.

Background

On May 22, he was requested to appear at the investigation body’s headquarters.

Following that, Mr. Bissue’s attorneys wrote to the OSP to get a copy of the petition that served as the basis for this invitation and to request that the meeting be postponed until May 25 due to “a domestic emergency.”

According to Mr. Bissue’s attorneys, the OSP refused to accept the suggested date of May 25, 2023 and insisted on May 22 instead.

Due to the failure of this meeting, the OSP went to court to obtain an arrest warrant.

Mr. Bissue has re-filed a lawsuit with the court, requesting that it vacate the arrest order that was issued against him and declare that the investigating body is infringing on his human rights. This is Mr. Bissue’s third lawsuit against the OSP.

The OSP’s investigations following the publication of the investigative documentary “Galamsey Fraud Part I” by Tiger Eye P.I. and the journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas are the subject of the prior two lawsuits.

In this case, Mr. Bissue had also asked for a copy of the petition that had sparked the investigation. Furthermore, he claimed that before taking office, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng had written this appeal when he was still a lawyer in private practise.

Adding that the matter of his investigation has already been resolved by the Police Service’s CID, he requests that the court prevent the OSP from looking into him. These cases have not yet been resolved.

How it began

The former Secretary of the disbanded Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) requests in December 2022 that the court halt the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s investigation into him.

Charles Bissue requested an injunction from the Accra High Court in order to achieve that.

The investigation of several public officials for allegedly participating in illicit mining (galamsey) was launched by Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng on October 10.

Some employees of the Forestry Commission, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), and the Lands Ministry were the focus of the inquiry.

According to the OSP, the investigation will also include claims that Charles Bissue used his position as secretary to the IMCIM for personal advantage.

Anas Aremeyaw Anas and the Tiger Eye P.I.’s investigative documentary served as the basis for this.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) member, however, wants to put an end to it.