Charles Bissue Vs OSP: Court adjourns hearing again to March 11

The case involving the former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), has been adjourned again by the Kaneshie District Court.

The new date for the case to be heard is March 11, 2024.

The case, which was supposed to be heard on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, was postponed to a later date because the court did not sit.

The OSP shared this in a post on X.

The office said that after following the court's order to submit a written argument, which the OSP did, Charles Bissue and his legal team did not comply with the orders, blaming the lawyer's torn ligament for their non-compliance.

It also said that a claim made by Nana Agyei Baffour, the lawyer for Charles Bissue, that the office had obtained an illegal warrant to cross-examine him [Charles Bissue ] was false.

Bissue is facing charges of corruption and abuse of office, in connection with the activities and expenditure of the IMCIM, which was dissolved in 2020.

He is also accused of misusing his position to facilitate illegal mining activities and to seize and manage excavators, machinery, road vehicles, and gold nuggets, for his benefit.

As the investigations began, the former secretary went to the High Court to stop the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) from investigating him over suspected corruption and corruption-related offences involving a public officer.

Since the hearing began, the cases have been adjourned several times with no one yet to be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, Bissue is contesting to be a Member of Parliament for the people of Essikado-Ketan, on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Below is the full X post by the OSP

Case update:

Charles Bissue V OSP & Kaneshie District Court
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The proceedings have been rescheduled to Monday, 11 March 2024, as the case is now under the jurisdiction of a relieving judge.

On 6 December 2023, Justice Nicholas Abodakpi, presiding over the court,…

— Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) February 21, 2024