Former presidential staffer Charles Bissue has urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to allow his corruption case to proceed in court, saying he wants a judge to determine whether he is guilty or innocent after seven years of investigations and legal battles.
In an open letter addressed to Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng on June 22, Bissue rejected any move to discontinue the case through a nolle prosequi.
Instead, he called for a full trial to bring the matter to a conclusion.
“I do not support a nolle prosequi. I want the trial to continue. If I unlawfully accepted even one cedi, let the Court convict me. If I did not, let the Court acquit me,” Bissue wrote.
Bissue served as Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining before stepping aside in 2019 following allegations linked to an undercover investigation into illegal mining, widely known as galamsey.
According to him, he voluntarily left his position to ensure investigations could continue without any perception of interference. He added that he has cooperated with investigators throughout the process.
The former official said the prolonged case has had a significant impact on his life. He pointed to damage to his reputation, setbacks in his career, financial difficulties, and emotional strain on his family.
Bissue also disclosed that his late mother suffered two heart attacks during the legal process before she passed away. He described the experience as one of the most painful periods of his life.
He criticised what he considers delays in the prosecution and referred to a recent court ruling that struck out 24 paragraphs from a prosecution witness statement.
He noted that the OSP later sought to suspend proceedings, but the court dismissed the request.
The case centres on allegations that Bissue received GH¢20,000 in relation to mining activities. He said the issue goes beyond the amount involved and concerns fairness, transparency, and equal treatment under the law.
Bissue also questioned the handling of a video that gained public attention when the allegations first emerged.
He argued that prosecutors presented only selected portions of the footage in court and that he did not appear in the sections submitted as evidence.
“These are matters that deserve to be tested in open court,” he wrote. “The courtroom, not the court of public opinion, is where evidence must be tested.”
He further highlighted Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng’s past legal representation of investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, whose undercover investigation formed the basis of the allegations.
Bissue said he was not seeking to prejudge anyone but was calling for transparency and consistency.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has not yet responded publicly to the letter. Meanwhile, the case remains one of Ghana’s most closely watched anti-corruption prosecutions linked to the fight against illegal mining.
