OSP withdraws charges against Owusu Andy Thomas

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has dropped all charges against Owusu Andy Thomas. This clears him of corruption and bribery allegations.

Owusu was on trial with Charles Bissue. Bissue is the former Secretary of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining. They faced 15 counts related to corruption and bribery.

These charges came from a 2019 investigation by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas. The investigation implicated several officials in misconduct linked to illegal mining.

At the time of his discharge, Owusu faced nine charges. Six of these were directly tied to corruption. On Wednesday, the High Court in Accra discharged him from those six charges.

This followed a plea bargain agreement accepted by the OSP. As part of this agreement, Owusu must pay GH¢200,000 as restitution to the Republic. This payment resolves the remaining three charges under Section 71(4) of the OSP Act, 2017 (Act 959).

This case marks an important development in Ghana's fight against illegal mining. It follows public outcry for greater accountability after the anti-galamsey exposé. The case involving Charles Bissue is still ongoing.