Galamsey investigation: Charles Bissue drags OSP, Anas to court, seeks injunction
Mr. Bissue stepped down from his role as Secretary of the IMCIM in 2019 and denied any involvement in any wrongdoing after the said investigative documentary titled ‘Galamsey Fraud Part 1’ was aired by Tiger Eye P.I.
A former presidential staffer and Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining(IMCIM), Mr. Charles Bissue has sued the Office of the Special Prosecutor, Ace Investigative Journalist; Anas Aremeyaw Anas, and the Tiger Eye P.I. at the High Court in Accra.
According to his amended Statement of Case, the plaintiff is seeking inter alia an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the OSP and all its agents from investigating and prosecuting him in respect of a 2019 Galamsey documentary conducted by Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Tiger Eye P.I. unless same is referred by the Ghana Police Service.
Mr. Bissue stepped down from his role as Secretary of the IMCIM in 2019 and denied any involvement in any wrongdoing after the said investigative documentary titled ‘Galamsey Fraud Part 1’ was aired by Tiger Eye P.I.
He notes that following the broadcast of the purpotted investigative documentary, the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee at the time, filed a petition for investigation which was done by the police but made no adverse findings against him.
Mr. Bissue adds that while the police investigation was ongoing, he was invited by the Office of the Special Prosecutor based on a complaint made by Anas Aremeyaw and Tiger Eye P.I. for an investigation into the documentary.
Moreover, he notes that around the time of his invitation, the police also concluded their already-mentioned investigation and issued its Report in July 2019.
The plaintiff avers that notwithstanding the above, the Office of the Special Prosecutor after three(3) dormant years of the said petition by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, ‘purports to be conducting investigations into the same matter.’
In its December 2022 Half Quarterly Report, the Office of the Special Prosecutor among others announced 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.
Mr. Bissue is therefore seeking also a declaration that the OSP’s investigation into the same matter as has been investigated by the police and its subsequent prosecution would amount to a review of the police investigations and findings.
Also, a declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Act 959, the OSP has no power to review the investigations and findings of the police.
Additionally, a declaration that the OSP has no power to prosecute him based on its purported investigations into the same matter already being investigated by the police.
A further declaration that the OSP cannot investigate and prosecute him without doing the same to Anas Aremeyaw Anas and the Tiger Eye P.I.
