Amidu starts interrogation of officials cited in galamsey exposé
The Office of Special Prosecutor has begun looking investigating persons cited for underhand dealings in the Anas Aremeyaw Anas investigations on galamsey.
On Thursday, Andy Owusu appeared before investigators at the Special Prosecutor ‘s office.
Mr. Owusu, who was described in the Anas documentary as highly connected in the governing NPP facilitated the meeting between the former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Charles Bissue and the Tiger Eye Team.
He is expected to answer questions on his role in the illegal mining taskforce at the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
Prosecutors will also introduce him to his accusers for purposes of identification.
On Wednesday, the Special Prosecutor investigators questioned Charles Bissue who made his first appearance at the office.
In his first appearance at the office on Wednesday, Mr Bissue, accompanied by his lawyers, was questioned over his alleged criminal activities as caught on tape by Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Anas and his TigerEye PI team in February 2019 published the investigative video which showed state officials including the then secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining and presidential staffer, Charle Bissue, allegedly taking bribes to sidestep the laid down procedures for the procurement of mining licenses.
Following the release of the video, Anas and his team formally petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor to probe the matter and deal with persons who compromised their positions.
The team also made available the video documentary that showed the officials taking bribes to the Special Prosecutor’s office.
The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, in confirming receipt of the documents, at the time, gave assurance that his office will deal with the crime if it establishes that illegality was conducted.
“I know there is a video trending on galamsey. My office was petitioned. I was preparing to come here so I couldn’t read the hefty document that they brought. Videos have been showed. Be assured that if my office investigates it and there is a crime, it shall be dealt with,” Martin Amidu said.
Meanwhile, Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his lawyer, Kissi Agyabeng were also present at the Office of the Special Prosecutor on Wednesday.
Lawyer Kissi Agyabeng in a Citi News interview said the team was at the office at the invitation of the Special Prosecutor to provide further information on its work.
He said the team had earlier been to the office upon invitation to give its evidence in the matter but was called on Tuesday to be present on Wednesday to give further information.
“It is a follow-up invitation by the Special Prosecutor himself in respect of the galamsey fraud matter. TigerEye PI witnesses had come to give their evidence before the Special Prosecutor some weeks ago and we got notice yesterday [Tuesday] that they were needed back for some further hearings together with the respondents so we honoured the investigation together with the full team,” he said.