The High Court in Accra yesterday granted bail to Charles Bissue and aide to Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Andy Owusu, to the tune of GHc 200,000 each; with two sureties, one to be justified.
The two have been charged with 15 counts of corruption-related offences, including abuse of office for profit.
Both accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been ordered to deposit their passports with the court registry.
They are also required to report to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) once every month as part of their bail conditions.
The Criminal Court 4 has been adjourned to 29 May for the Case Management Conference.
This development follows charges filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor against the two. Charles Bissue, a former Secretary to the now-defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), and Andy Thomas Owusu are accused of engaging in corrupt practices in connection with illegal mining operations.
In the first count, Bissue is alleged to have used his public office for personal gain, contrary to Section 179c (a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). Court documents indicate that he received GHC15,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong through Andy Owusu on or around January 22, 2019, in Accra.
