The High Court in Accra has granted bail to Charles Bissue and Andy Owusu in the sum of GH¢200,000 each, with two sureties—one of whom must be justified.
The two have been charged by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) with 15 counts of corruption-related offences, including abuse of office for profit.
Charles Bissue, a former Secretary to the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), is accused in the first count of using his public office for profit, in violation of Section 179C(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to the charge sheet, Bissue allegedly received GH¢15,000 through Andy Owusu from one Benjamin Adjapong on or around January 22, 2019, in Accra.
The OSP claims Bissue abused his position by accepting the money to bypass established procedures set out in the IMCIM’s 2018 “Road Map for Lifting of Ban on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining.” These procedures included verifying documents, obtaining permits, mapping concessions, and vetting applicants.
Both accused have pleaded not guilty.
As part of their bail conditions, they must deposit their passports with the court registry and report to the Office of the Special Prosecutor once a month.
The case has been adjourned to May 29.
