Bissue’s injunction: Court directs Special Prosecutor to file statement of case in 14 days
Mr. Bissue is seeking an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the OSP and all its agents from investigating and prosecuting him in respect of the ‘Galamsey Fraud Part 1’ documentary.
The High Court has directed the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), to within 14 days file its statement of case regarding the injunction application sought by former presidential staffer and Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Mr. Charles Bissue.
Mr. Bissue is seeking an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the OSP and all its agents from investigating and prosecuting him regarding a 2019 Galamsey documentary conducted by Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Tiger Eye P.I.
The directive from the court comes as it granted a request from Counsel for the OSP, Dr. Isidore Tuffour, for adequate time to prepare and file the statement of the case. According to him, the OSP was handicapped in respect of resources in managing legal matters, and also because he had just been appointed to lead its legal team.
“I have just been appointed to fill that void,” he told the court.
The case was subsequently adjourned to April 17, 2023.
Background
Mr. Bissue stepped down from his role as Secretary of the IMCIM in 2019 and denied any wrongdoing after the airing of the investigative documentary titled ‘Galamsey Fraud Part 1’ by Tiger Eye P.I.
In his January 4, 2023 application, he noted that following the broadcast of the investigative documentary, the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee at the time, filed a petition for an investigation which was done by the police, but made no adverse findings against him.
In October 2022, the Office of Special Prosecutor also began investigations into Charles Bissue's role at the IMCIM, following a petition by Anas Aremeyaw and Tiger Eye P.I.
And in December 2022, the OSP released its Half Quarterly Report, announcing among others that it had finalized investigations into the ‘Galamsey fraud’ allegation leveled against Charles Bissue and would issue its directives and further action on the matter in due course.
However, the plaintiff, Mr. Bissue contends that the OSP does not have the power to investigate such a matter that has already been investigated by the police.
