The Accra High Court has scheduled July 2, 2025, as the start date for the trial of Charles Bissue, the former Secretary of the now-defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), over 15 counts of corruption-related offences.

This update was shared on the Official X page of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, OSP on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

"The High Court has set July 2, 2025, for the commencement of the trial in the case of Republic v. Charles Bissue. At a Case Management Conference, the prosecution informed the court that it had filed all disclosures on May 28, 2025," it noted.

According to the OSP, witness statements, exhibits and the outline for the trial had already been made available.

"Two witness statements have been submitted, one with five exhibits and another with 12 exhibits. In addition, the prosecution disclosed 63 other documents. Lawyers for the accused requested the original copies of these documents, confirming they had already been provided.

The court outlined a schedule for the prosecution’s witnesses to appear on 2, 3, 8, 9, 15, 22, and 23 July. The case has accordingly been adjourned to July 2, for the trial to begin," it added.

The case stems from allegations of corruption and misconduct, following an investigative exposé by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in 2019, which linked Charles Bissue to purported illegal mining activities.

Meanwhile, the OSP has withdrawn all six charges of corruption and bribery against Owusu Andy Thomas, the second accused in the case.

Owusu was standing trial alongside Charles Bissue.

This development follows the OSP’s announcement on Monday, June 2, 2025, that it had accepted a plea bargain proposal submitted by Owusu.

The charges were based on a 2019 investigative exposé by undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, which implicated several officials in alleged misconduct linked to illegal mining activities.

See the OSP's post below:

Trial of Charles Bissue to Commence on 2 July
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The High Court has set 2 July 2025 for the commencement of the trial in the case of Republic v. Charles Bissue. At a Case Management Conference, the prosecution informed the court that it had filed…

— Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) June 17, 2025