OSP Files Bribery Charges Against Charles Bissue

Kissi Agyebeng - Special Prosecutor

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed charges against Charles Bissue. He is the former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM). His alleged accomplice, Andy Owusu, is also facing charges.

The charges were filed on April 28, 2025, at 12:38 p.m. They were submitted to the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra. Dr. Isidore Tufuor, Director of Prosecution at the OSP, authorized these filings.

Both men face multiple counts of corruption and bribery. They are accused of abusing public office by renewing expired mining licenses improperly. Their actions reportedly undermined regulatory mechanisms for artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana.

Charles Bissue, 52, is listed as the first accused (A1). He faces three counts of using public office for profit under Section 179C(a) of the Criminal Offences Act. He also faces three counts of corruption by a public officer under Sections 239(1) and (3).

Andy Thomas Owusu, 43, is the second accused (A2). Although not a public officer, he allegedly facilitated Bissue’s criminal conduct. He faces three counts of using public office for profit under Section 179C(b) and three counts of corruption.

Summary of Allegations

According to court documents, Charles Bissue allegedly received GH¢35,000 from Benjamin Adjapong. This occurred in three separate transactions between January and February 2019. The payments aimed to expedite license renewals for ORR Resources Enterprise without proper verification.

The OSP claims that Bissue exploited his position to bypass critical procedures outlined in IMCIM's 2018 roadmap. These procedures included permit acquisition and entity vetting.

Andy Owusu is accused of receiving bribe money from Adjapong and transferring it to Bissue. This arrangement allowed Bissue to benefit without direct contact with Adjapong.

Details

The IMCIM was established in March 2017 by Nana Akufo-Addo's administration. Its purpose was to combat illegal small-scale mining known as galamsey. The committee vetted registered artisanal mining companies to regularize operations across Ghana’s mining districts.

Bissue was appointed Secretary when the Secretariat was formally established on December 28, 2017. A nationwide moratorium on small-scale mining began on April 1, 2017; it was later extended to nine months.

To enforce this ban, Operation Vanguard deployed about 400 personnel from security forces to affected areas. Entities that passed IMCIM's vetting were published and allowed to resume operations.

However, in January 2021, allegations led to the dissolution of IMCIM due to corruption involving top officials. Charges against Charles Bissue relate to allegations surrounding seized excavators and other assets.

The OSP claims that evidence will show Bissue received GH¢35,000 from Adjapong through Owusu's facilitation. This payment aimed to bypass IMCIM requirements outlined in its roadmap.

These requirements included document verification and proper vetting processes. The OSP alleges that Owusu received GH¢15,000 from Adjapong for influencing Bissue during this process.

Tiger Eye P.I., a private investigative agency captured these dealings on camera. In footage obtained by them, Owusu allegedly demanded GH¢100,000 from Adjapong for himself and Bissue.

The negotiated bribe was later reduced to GH¢40,000—GH¢35,000 for Bissue and GH¢15,000 for Owusu. As a result of these payments made by Adjapong, Bissue unlawfully issued permits signifying compliance with legal requirements despite circumventing necessary procedures.