Andy Thomas Owusu, the second accused in the Charles Bissue alleged illegal mining case, was yesterday convicted to a fine of GH¢206,000 by the Accra High Court.
This was after he opted for a plea bargain with the Office Special Prosecutor (OSP) who is prosecuting him together with Charles Bissue, the former Secretary of the Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining.
Mr Owusu was convicted to 500 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢6, 000 in addition to GH¢200, 000 restitution to be paid to the state.
He was convicted on his own plea after the court accepted a plea bargain agreement entered under section 71 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
The charge was based on Corruption of a Public Officer and Accepting Bribe to Influence a Public Officer.
This case stems from the 2019 “Galamsey Fraud Part One” investigation by Tiger Eye PI, which implicated Owusu and then-presidential staffer, Charles Bissue, in facilitating illegal mining licenses for bribes.
Following his conviction, the court struck out two additional charges — Corruption of a Public Officer and Accepting Bribe to Influence a Public Officer.
Owusu has been charged together with Charles Bissue, the former Secretary of the Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining with 15 counts of multiple offences, involving the abuse of office, corruption, and efforts to undermine lawful mining regulations.
The case had since been adjourned to June 10, 2025.
The facts of the case, as presented by the OSP, were that the IMCIM was established by then President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in March 2017 to deal with the illegal mining menace.
Among other things, the facts revealed that the IMCIM was responsible for coordinating the activities of the fight against illegal mining and as part of the fight, all artisanal and small-scale mining was suspended for six months in April 2017, which was later extended for nine months.
In order to resume work, the facts further explained that, small-scale mining companies were required to undergo a vetting and verification process in line with procedures established by the IMCIM.
According to the OSP, Bissue was in charge of the said verification and vetting process, which the
anti-graft body alleged he used for private gain.
“The evidence would establish that the First Accused, with the collaboration and facilitation of the Second Accused, received for personal profit and benefit a sum of GH¢35,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong,” the OSP stated.
“The evidence would further establish that the Second Accused received the sum of GH¢15,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong for the purpose of unduly influencing the First Accused, in respect of the discharge of his duties as the Secretary of the IMCIM, to circumvent established requirements of the IMCIM under its Road Map for Lifting of Ban on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (The Way Forward), 2018,” the OSP added.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
