CHARLES CROMWELL NANABAYIN ONUAWONTO BISSUE Corruption and corruption-related offenses regarding the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), especially in respect of the seizure and management of excavators, machinery, road vehicles and gold nuggets; and use of public office for profit.
In 2019, The Tiger Eye PI Investigative team, led by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, allegedly caught the former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, on tape collecting a bribe to facilitate the issuance of a mining license in an expose on illegal mining, “Galamsey Fraud”.
The documentary centered on one of President Akufo-Addo’s prionties in his administration i.e the fight against illegal mining widely known as Galamsey reveals the involvement of government officials circumventing measures to curb the canker.
One of such government officials captured in the secret filming is the Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Cromwell Bissue, who was seen taking cash amounting to 35,000 cedis in three meetings through one Andy Owusu, a connection man, to circumvent the process to renew the mining license for ORR Resources Enterprise.
The documentary, titled ‘Galamsey Fraud’ which lasts a little over 27 minutes was only the first part with the continuation to be premiered at a later date.
Charles Bissue, has refuted the claims by former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), that he was set up in its 2019 galamsey fraud exposédocumentary.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has exonerated the former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, from allegations of corruption.
After thorough investigations, the CID, in a final report, concluded that Bissue did not circumvent the laid down procedures of the IMCIM to favour ORR Resource Enterprise, the company at the centre of the incident.
In a letter to the President in March this year, Bissue, who is also a Presidential Staffer, decided to step aside to avail himself for investigations after he had allegedly been accused by Anas Aremeyaw Anas’s Tiger Eye PI documentary on galamsey fraud.
Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, would again be mentioned in a leaked report by the former environment minister professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng to the president on the inter ministerial committee on illegal mining, IMCIM.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) later commenced investigations into alleged illegal fallouts from the state sponsored illegal mining activities and has invited Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, to assist in their work but the later declined the invitations, compelling the OSP to declare him wanted.
About The Office Of The Special Prosecutor
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) was established In 2018 as the gold standard and flagship specialized independent anti-corruption institution in Ghana, in pursuance of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
The OSP has the object of investigating and prosecuting specific cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses in the public and private sectors, recovering the proceeds of such acts by disgorging illicit and unexplained wealth and taking steps to prevent corruption. ;
The specialized attribute of the OSP particularly lies in Its fortification with the cure of the Inadequacies of the existing anti-corruption agencies by being designed as a comprehensive anti-graft agency with investigative, prosecutorial, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and counter-surveillance, police, national security, and revenue-generating powers.
The OSP derives its powers mainly from the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), Office of the Special Prosecutor Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2373), Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374), and other laws bearing on the suppression and repression of corruption.
In addition to taking its own initiative, the OSP also receives and acts on referrals of investigations of alleged corruption and corruption-related offenses from Parliament, the Auditor-General, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Economic and Organized Crime Office, and any other public institution.
The Office also receives and acts on complaints from private entities and individuals.
By Peter Quao Adattor
