In a latest twist of event, an Accra Human Rights Court, presided by Justice Nicholas Abodakpi, has granted an application for an Interim Injunction restraining the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) or its agents from executing an alleged arrest warrant against Charles Bissue, a former Western regional secretary of the governing NPP.
The court has also issued an injunction preventing the Special Prosecutor from applying for any further arrest warrants or publishing notices indicating that Bissue is wanted.
The order, which will last for 10 days, comes after the OSP declared Charles Bissue, the former Secretary to the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), wanted on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
Bissue had failed to respond to an invitation from the Special Prosecutor to appear and answer questions regarding the ongoing investigation into suspected corruption and corruption related offences within the defunct IMCIM.
He is among a number of people being investigated by the OSP for their roles in alleged corruption activities that disabled the work of the IMCIM, tasked with fighting the illegal mining (galamsey) menace in the country.
A wanted notice issued by the OSP with his portrait photograph attached indicated that he is wanted for “Corruption and corruption-related offences regarding the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), especially in respect of the seizure and management of excavators, machinery, road vehicles and gold nuggets; and use of public office for profit.”
The case has been adjourned until June 22, 2023, for further proceedings.
Bissue had recently filed a writ at the High Court in Accra to prevent the Office of the Special Prosecutor from prosecuting him.
This legal action was in response to an ongoing investigation led by the Special Prosecutor, who is looking into alleged corruption involving Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, the Chairman of the IMCIM. Frimpong-Boateng has already been charged.
This recent court order has temporarily halted any arrest or further legal action against Bissue until the substantive matter is determined. The interim injunction will provide Bissue with time to present his case and respond to the allegations brought against him.
The case has sparked significant interest in Ghana, as it centers around allegations of corruption within a high-profile government committee.
The outcome of this legal battle will undoubtedly have implications for the fight against corruption in the country.
As the case continues to unfold, the public and legal experts will closely follow the proceedings. The Accra Human Rights Court’s decision to grant the Interim Injunction underscores the importance of due process and the rule of law in the pursuit of justice.
Interestingly, the OSP appears to have devised a new tactics of arresting Bissue as its states that it can arrest without a warrant.
“The general public is advised, that in exercise of its police powers, the Office of the Special Prosecutor can arrest without a warrant, any person it reasonably suspects of having committed corruption or corruption-related offences,” the OSP shared on its social media handle after the court stopped its arrest.
By Vincent Kubi