The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has said it has commenced an investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of illegal small scale mining (Galamsey).
A statement issued by the OSP on Monday October 10 said the investigations targets some officials of the Ministry of Lands and natural Resources and the Forestry Commission.
It also targets the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), especially in respect of seizure and management of excavators, machinery, road vehicles and gold nuggets.
“The investigations include the active and ongoing inquiry into allegations of use of public office for profits against Charles Bissue during his tenure as Secretary to the IMCIM arising from an investigative documentary titled ‘Galamsey Fraud Part 1, published by Tiger Eye PI.
“The investigations further target activities of the Akonta Mining Limited and other companies nationals of foreign countries allegedly involved in illegal mining and allegations of corruption and corruption related offence against Municipal and District Chief Executives political party officials.”
This comes just few days after Charles Bissue descended heavily on Anas Aremeyaw Anas for recently revisiting his issue on galamsey.
Charles Bissue, a former Western Region Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), had been mentioned by the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a candidate of imprisonment over his involvement in small-scale illegal mining as captured in the work of Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The former Presidential Staffer then replied Sammy Gyamfi, accusing him and the NDC of misleading Ghanaians.
But Anas’s Tiger Eye PI then revisited the issue.
It was this that goaded Mr Bissue to issue a statement dated Friday, October 7, 2022.
He sought to clarify the content of the 2018 investigative documentary.
“I did not demand any money from the applicant with promise of fast tracking or facilitating the process,” he refuted Anas’s allegations, describing his work as “corrupted”.
“The money in question was a donation from Bernard Antwi Boasiako [alias Chairman Wontumi] for a party activity. I did not grant the company any rights to resume mining when at the time, the ban was in force as published by Tiger Eye P.I.”
He added: “For the record, I don’t consider your work as an entrapment. In fact, it is hollow and a failed attempt to smear my reputation with lies, just as you’ve done to your victims in the past.
“I dare say, and I repeat that you are a liar, and should Ghanaians entertain your deceitful antics, this fight will never yield any results.”
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana