By: Ashiadey Dotse
According to the Office of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the High Court has scheduled the trial of a former Presidential staffer in the previous administration, Charles Bissue to start on Tuesday, 2 July 2025.
This follows a Case Management Conference where the prosecution told the court it had filed all necessary documents on 28 May 2025. These include two witness statements — one with five exhibits and the other with 12 exhibits — along with 63 additional documents.
The OSP in a Facebook post on Tuesday June 17, 2025, stated that Lawyers for Charles Bissue requested the original versions of the documents, but confirmed that they had already received them.
The court has scheduled the appearances of the prosecution’s witnesses for the following dates: July 2, 3, 8, 9, 15, 22, and 23.
The case has been adjourned until 2 July for the official start of the trial.
BACKGROUND
On 28 April 2025, the Ofce of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) preferred fifteen (15) criminal charges against Mr Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), and Mr Andy Thomas Owusu.
The charges relate to multiple counts of corruption and abuse of public office under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Specifically, Mr Bissue has been charged with:
- Six (6) counts of Using Public Office for Profit,
- Three (3) counts of Corruption by a Public Officer,
- Three (3) counts of Corruption of a Public Officer, and
- Three (3) counts of Accepting a Bribe to Influence a Public Officer.
The charges arise from allegations that Mr Bissue, whilst serving as a public officer, received bribes and illicit gifts in exchange for circumventing legal procedures governing the approval of mining licences. Mr Owusu is alleged to have acted as an intermediary in facilitating the said corrupt transactions and is charged accordingly.
On 6 May 2025, both accused persons were arraigned before the court, where pleas were formally taken. The court admitted each of the accused to bail in the sum of GHS 200,000, with two sureties.
