Former Secretary of the now-defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, has broken his silence following the filing of 15 criminal charges against him by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), insisting on his innocence and pledging to “vigorously challenge” the allegations in court.
The charges—centred on alleged bribery and abuse of office in connection with the 2019 Galamsey Fraud exposé by Tiger Eye P.I.—mark a dramatic turn in the years-long saga surrounding Mr Bissue’s role in Ghana’s controversial fight against illegal mining.
The OSP, on April 28, formally charged Bissue and alleged accomplice Andy Thomas Owusu with accepting GHC35,000 in bribes to unlawfully facilitate the renewal of ORR Resources Enterprise’s expired mining licence. In return, prosecutors say, Bissue issued fraudulent compliance permits and stickers to the company, bypassing standard documentation.
Bissue, in a swift response issued through a press statement, said he acted lawfully throughout his tenure at IMCIM. He described the charges as “baseless” and demanded that the OSP submit the full, unedited Tiger Eye P.I. documentary to the court to ensure transparency and fairness.
“For the record, I categorically assert that I have always acted in full compliance with both the legal and ethical obligations of the office I held,” he stated.
He welcomed the long-delayed court proceedings as an opportunity to clear his name, calling on Ghanaians to refrain from “premature judgments” and allow the judicial process to run its course.
Bissue also underscored the political context, noting that the prosecution is happening under a different administration than the one in which he served, and urged for impartiality in adjudicating the matter.
The case comes after a string of legal attempts by Bissue to block the OSP’s investigations, all of which ended unsuccessfully. In a November 2024 ruling, the Human Rights Court dismissed his suit against the OSP, declaring that his claims of harassment and an unlawful arrest warrant were unfounded and unsupported by evidence. The court also imposed a cost of GHC10,000 against him.
As the high-profile trial nears, the spotlight once again turns to Ghana’s handling of illegal mining and corruption—issues that continue to dominate public discourse.
