On Monday, January 15, Charles Bissue, the former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), faced an unsuccessful judicial review application aimed at quashing an arrest warrant obtained by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). Bissue’s legal team sought to prevent the court’s directive for his cross-examination.

The High Court in Accra (Human Rights Division), presided over by Justice Nicholas Mensah Abodakpi, had issued the directive on December 6. The court instructed the lawyers of Mr. Bissue, the OSP, and the Attorney General to submit their written submissions.

However, Mr. Bissue’s lawyer failed to meet the deadline, citing a torn ligament as the reason and requested additional time. The OSP, in a Facebook post, announced that the court has set February 1, 2024, as the new deadline for Bissue’s legal team to file the written submission and be prepared for cross-examination.

Charles Bissue is under investigation by the OSP for suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses related to illegal mining, based on an investigative documentary by Anas Aremeyaw Anas and the Tiger Eye P.I.