OSP Secures Court Order To Arrest NPP’s Charles Bissue

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has secured an order from the court to arrest former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

This order was secured after Mr Bissue failed to honour an invitation by the Special Prosecutor last month.

Lawyers for Charles Bissue have as a result sued the Special Prosecutor yet again, alleging various human rights violations.

They are additionally urging the court to set aside the warrant issued for Mr. Bissue’s arrest.

This comes barely 24 hours after details emerged that the former Environment Minister was on a GHs2 million bail after a visit to the OSP to assist in investigations into ‘galamsey’ activities during his time at the helm of the IMCIM taskforce.

Background

In December 2022, the former Secretary of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) wants the court to prevent the Office of the Special Prosecutor from investigating him.

Charles Bissue secured an injunction at an Accra High Court seeking to do so.

On October 10, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng started investigating some public officials over their alleged involvement in illegal mining (galamsey).

The investigation targeted some officials of the Lands Ministry, the Forestry Commission, and the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

The OSP said the inquiry will also span allegations of use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue during his tenure as secretary to the IMCIM.

This is based on an investigative documentary by Tiger Eye P.I.

However, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) member is seeking to end it.