The former Secretary of the disbanded Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) seeks the court to stop the Special Prosecutor’s Office from investigating him.

Charles Bissue has obtained an order from the Accra High Court to do so.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) commenced an investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of illegal small-scale mining (Galamsey).

The investigations target some officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission.

It also targets 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.

“The investigations include the active and ongoing inquiry into allegations of use of public office for profits against Charles Bissue during his tenure as Secretary to the IMCIM arising from an investigative documentary titled ‘Galamsey Fraud Part 1, published by Tiger Eye PI.

“The investigations further target activities of the Akonta Mining Limited and other companies nationals of foreign countries allegedly involved in illegal mining and allegations of corruption and corruption related offence against Municipal and District Chief Executives political party officials,” the Office of the Special Persecutor said in a statement on Monday, October 10.

However, Charles Bissue, the former Western Region Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has filed a lawsuit to stop the Office of the Special Persecutor from proceeding on that tangent.

In a writ dated December 23, the court ordered the interlocutory injunction to prevent pending the determination of the suit.