The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed criminal charges against a former secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, one other, Andy Thomas Owusu.
According to the charge sheet filed at the Accra High Court on April 28, and sighted by ModernGhana News, Mr Bissue is accused of “using public office for profit” and “corruption by a public officer” under sections 179C and 239 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), as amended.
The fifteen charges, nine against Mr. Bissue and six against Mr. Owusu relate to allegations that former, who also served as the Western Regional Secretary of the NPP, received cash payments to fast-track the renewal of mining licenses without proper documentation.
The OSP stated that on or around 22 January 2019, Mr Bissue, “while holding public office as the Secretary of the then Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), corruptly abused [his] office for private profit or benefit by receiving for [himself] an amount of Fifteen Thousand cedis (GHC15,000.00)” from Benjamin Adjapong, through Andy Thomas Owusu.
It further claimed that on or around 30 January 2019, Mr Bissue again received “an amount of Ten Thousand cedis (GHC10,000.00)” for the same purpose of unlawfully facilitating a fast-tracked renewal of an expired mining licence to ORR Resources Enterprise without valid documentation.
Andy Thomas Owusu, who is not a public officer, has also been charged with collaborating with Mr Bissue to corruptly abuse his office.
The charge sheet alleges that Mr Owusu acted “by receiving the sum of Fifteen Thousand cedis (GHS15,000.00) for himself from one Benjamin Adjapong through you and by your facilitation.”
The charges also accuse Mr Bissue of committing corruption as a public officer by “agreeing to permit [his] conduct to be influenced in the discharge of [his] duty by receiving a gift” in the form of money.
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