OSP Withdraws All Corruption Charges Against Thomas Owusu Andy
After a plea bargain agreement, the High Court discharges Owusu; GH¢200,000 paid in restitution to settle remaining charges.
- OSP drops all six corruption and bribery charges against Thomas Owusu Andy
- Owusu pays GH¢200,000 as restitution to settle the remaining three charges
- Co-accused Charles Bissue’s trial continues, linked to the 2019 Galamsey Fraud exposé
In a major twist in the high-profile Galamsey Fraud scandal, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has dropped all six charges of corruption and bribery against Owusu Andy Thomas, effectively clearing him of those allegations.
Thomas, who was jointly facing trial with Charles Bissue—former Secretary of the now-defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM)—had been charged with a total of nine offences, six of which were directly tied to bribery and corruption.
The withdrawal of charges follows a plea bargain agreement accepted by the OSP on Monday, June 2. On Wednesday, the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra officially discharged Owusu after the terms of the agreement were endorsed.
As part of the deal, Owusu agreed to pay GH¢200,000 in restitution and reparation to the Republic. This settlement effectively resolves the remaining three charges against him in line with Section 71(4) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
The charges originally stemmed from a 2019 exposé by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, which implicated several public officials in corruption linked to illegal mining activities. The documentary, titled Galamsey Fraud, sparked widespread public outrage and intensified demands for accountability in the fight against illegal mining.
Owusu’s discharge marks a notable development in the broader legal aftermath of the exposé, although the case against his co-accused, Charles Bissue, is still ongoing.
Background
The OSP had filed 15 charges against Bissue and Owusu on April 28, alleging that between January and February 2019, Bissue accepted bribes totaling GH¢35,000—some directly and some via Owusu—from one Benjamin Adjapong to fast-track the renewal of an expired mining license for ORR Resources Enterprise.
Bissue, in turn, allegedly issued fraudulent permits and compliance stickers for the company, despite it lacking proper documentation. These events were among the central findings of the 2019 Galamsey Fraud documentary by Tiger Eye P.I.
Though Bissue was initially cleared under the previous administration, the OSP later reopened the case, citing fresh evidence and a renewed commitment to prosecuting corruption in the mining sector.
The IMCIM, formed in 2017 to combat illegal mining, was disbanded in 2021 amid a series of scandals, including the alleged disappearance of seized excavators and gold nuggets.
In November 2024, the Human Rights Court dismissed Bissue’s latest legal attempt to block the OSP from investigating or arresting him, calling his claims baseless and awarding GH¢10,000 in costs against him.
With Owusu now officially cleared, all eyes remain on the pending case against Bissue, as the OSP continues its push to hold former officials accountable in the wake of the Galamsey Fraud revelations.
