Former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, is facing a renewed legal battle after the Office of the Special Prosecutor secured an order from the court to arrest him.
The order was made after Mr Bissue failed to honour an invitation from the Special Prosecutor last month.
Lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Bissue have filed a lawsuit alleging various human rights violations and are calling for the warrant issued for his arrest to be set aside.
These latest developments follow news that Mr Bissue was earlier this month released on GHC2 million bail after having visited the Office of the Special Prosecutor to assist with investigations into ‘galamsey’ activities during his tenure with the IMCIM taskforce.
In December 2022, Bissue secured an injunction at an Accra High Court to prevent the Office of the Special Prosecutor from investigating him.
He claimed that the SP having acted for Tiger Eye and it’s proprietor, Anas Arimeyaw Anas, the OSP will be in conflict of law.
The investigation, led by Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, targeted public officials over their alleged involvement in illegal mining and the use of public office for profit. The inquiry spanned officials of the Lands Ministry, Forestry Commission, and the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).
The investigation into the IMCIM was prompted by an investigative documentary by Tiger Eye P.I. which raised allegations of corruption and illegal mining involving Mr Bissue and other officials.
The renewed legal action against Mr Bissue is expected to further delay progress in the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor has declared its determination to continue with the probe, stating that it was committed to holding public officials accountable for any acts of wrongdoing.
By Vincent Kubi