Prosecutors have informed the Accra High Court that Andy Thomas Owusu, the second accused in the corruption case brought by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) against Charles Bissue, has applied for a plea bargain.
During proceedings on Thursday, May 29, 2025, prosecutors requested additional time to conclude ongoing plea negotiations and complete the necessary documentation with Owusu.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to June 4, 2025.
Andy Thomas Owusu is standing trial alongside Charles Bissue, former Secretary of the now-defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).
The two face 15 charges including corruption, abuse of office, and attempts to circumvent lawful mining procedures.
Background
In April 2025, the OSP filed 15 criminal charges at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra against Charles Bissue and Andy Thomas Owusu. The charges stem from alleged events between January and February 2019, during which Bissue is said to have accepted bribes totaling GH¢35,000 from Benjamin Adjapong, directly and through Owusu, to expedite the renewal of an expired mining license for ORR Resources Enterprise without the necessary documentation.
Bissue faces nine counts, including three counts of Using Public Office for Profit under Section 179C(a) of Act 29. These relate to alleged payments of GH¢15,000 on January 22, GH¢10,000 on January 30, and GH¢10,000 on February 8, 2019, to bypass IMCIM’s vetting process.
He also faces charges of Corruption by a Public Officer under Sections 239(1) and (3) of Act 29, as amended by Act 1034.
At their first court appearance on May 6, 2025, both Bissue and Owusu pleaded not guilty. The court granted each bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with two sureties, one of whom must be justified.
As part of the bail conditions, the accused persons were ordered to deposit their passports with the court registry and are required to report to the Office of the Special Prosecutor once every month.
JKB/MA
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