Court rejects 24 paragraphs in OSP’s key Witness’ testimony as hearsay in Bissue case

The High Court in Accra has struck out 24 of the 53 paragraphs in the witness statement of an investigative journalist testifying in the alleged corruption case against Charles Bissue, former Secretary to the now-defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), and two other accused persons as “hearsay evidence.”.

The decision followed objections by lawyers for the accused, who described the 24 paragraphs as hearsay evidence.

Benjamin Adjapong, an undercover investigator with Tiger Eye P.I. and a member of the team that conducted the “Galamsey Fraud” investigation, is testifying in-camera (privately) before the High Court.

In his 53-paragraph witness statement, which he is to rely on as his evidence-in-chief, the first and third accused objected to paragraphs 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 31, 32, 35, 42, 43, 51, 52 and 53 on grounds of hearsay.

On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, trial judge Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay upheld the objections to all 24 paragraphs. The ruling means Adjapong cannot rely on those paragraphs in his testimony.

Mr. Bissue, the first accused, together with Raphael Mensah, former Systems Manager of the GalamStop software, the second accused, and Dr. Naa Dedei Tagoe, former Project Coordinator of the IMCIM, the third accused, have all pleaded not guilty to eight counts relating to corruption and corruption-related offences.

Mr. Bissue faces six counts of corruption and abuse of public office under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), as amended by Act 1034.

While Mr. Mensah and Dr. Tagoe have each been charged with abetment of corruption and use of public office for profit, contrary to sections 20(1) and 179C(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

They have all pleaded not guilty and are standing trial. The case has been adjourned to June 11, 2026, for continuation.

Below are the the specific paragraphs that have been been struck out from the Witness Statement

5. It was also found from our preliminary investigations, that the second accused person, a personal aide to the Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman, facilitated meetings and connections between influential personalities at the IMCIM and persons seeking permission to engage in mining activities in the country. The second accused person received monies from people seeking such permission to engage in mining activities in the country and connected them to the influential personalities at the IMCIM. Through these connections, their documents would be fast-tracked by circumventing the laid down procedural requirements in the IMCIM’s Roadmap Document.
6. Through our confidential sources, Tiger Eye PI procured an already existing mining entity called ORR Resources Enterprise. We were able to obtain relevant documentation on OR Resources Enterprise from the Registrar of Companies. Attached and marked as Exhibit BAA’ is a copy of the company profile of ORR Resources Enterprise.
7. I approached the second accused person for him to connect us with someone at the IMCIM. This person would help us renew the expired mining licence of ORR Resources Enterprise as well as obtain permission to engage in mining activities. ‘That person would also help provide protection to ORR Resources Enterprise to mine illegally’ while the renewal process was being worked on. I indicated that we were ready to pay any amount to make that happen.11. The second accused person accepted the proposal and informed me that he would take us to the first accused person who would get the job done for us.
The second accused person demanded that we pay Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 100,000.00) for the job out of which Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 50,000.00) would be given to the first accused person and the remaining Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 50,000) would be for him, the second accused person. This meeting with the second accused person was not recorded
8. I called the second accused person on 21 January 2019 for us to meet so that he could lead me to meet the first accused person. He complained that I had wasted his time on 18 January 2019 since he had stopped the first accused person from travelling to Takoradi because of the said meeting. The second accused person then asked if I had Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 20,000.00) as down payment of the Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 50,000.00) to be paid to the first accused person as a supposed Christmas gift. Attached on a pen drive and marked as Exhibit ‘BAC’ is the audio-visual recording of that phone call with the second accused person which is (CALLS/ANDY/1ST EVER MEETING WITH ANDY OWUSU: V20190121160118).:
9. The second accused person called again on the same day (21 January 2019) to inform me that he had been calling the first accused person but was unable to establish contact with him. The second accused person further stated that he would keep trying to reach the first accused person since he wanted the meeting to come off at all costs no matter the time and place. The second accused person also requested that I pay him his money through mobile money to enable him leave Accra for Kumasi as soon as our meeting with the first accused person was over. This call conversation between the second accused person and myself was recorded and forms part of Exhibit ‘BAC’ CALLS/ANDY/1ST EVER MEETING WITH ANDY OWUSU:(V20190121161347).
10. While in the car, the second accused person kept trying to reach the first accused person but there was no response. The second accused person, however, assured me that he had forwarded OR Resources Enterprise’s expired mining licence to the first accused person and that he had agreed to work on it for us. With this assurance from the second accused person, I went ahead to pay him Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 5,000.00) as part payment of his share of the amount charged which the second accused person had demanded for in our previous telephone conversations. This meeting between the second accused person and myself was recorded and forms part of Exhibit BAC’ with the description (SP/RAW FOOTAGES OF THE MEETING WITH ANDY OWUSU WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS/1ST EVER MEETING: V20190121180119).
11. The second accused person further assured me that he would keep trying until he gets through to the first accused person to enable us meet since he needed to be at Obuasi the following day for the reopening of the Ashanti Gold Mining Company. We parted ways around the Accra Shopping Mall, and the second accused person promised to get back to me as soon as he established contact with the first accused person. The raw footages of my meeting with the second accused form part of Exhibit ‘BAC’ with description (SP/RAW FOOTAGES OF THE MEETING WITH ANDY OWUSU WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS/1ST EVER MEETING:V2019021181122,V20190121182124, V20190121183126.
12. The second accused person called me about thirty (30) minutes later, on the same day after we had parted ways. In that phone conversation, (which was unrecorded) the second accused person told me that he had established contact with the first accused person who had requested that we meet him the following day at 9:00 am in his office at the then IMCIM.
13. However, whilst on our way to meet with the first accused person on 22 January
2019, the second accused person informed me that he had earlier on had another conversation with the first accused person on phone and that the first accused person had rescheduled the time for the meeting to 11:00 am with the explanation that he had to carry out some official duties for the Presidency. The first accused person and I parted ways and met about two (2) hours later in front of the office of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited’s (BOST) to proceed to the first accused person’s office for the meeting. The raw footages of the phone call conversation with the second accused form part of Exhibit BAC’ with description (CALLS/ANDY/ DAY 2 WITH ANDY AND THE 1ST MEETING WITH CHARLES BISSUE IN HIS OFFICE ON 22 JANUARY 2019: V20190122095250).
14. The second accused person picked me up in the same Range Rover car except that this time, he was the one driving. I sat in the front passenger seat. The second accused person requested for a hard copy of the ORR Resources Enterprise documents and demanded the Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 20,000.00) down payment for the first accused person. I paid him Fifteen Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 15,000.00) instead of the Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 20,000.00) originally agreed on. The raw footages of my meeting with the second accused form part of Exhibit ‘BAC’ with description (SP/RAW FOOTAGES OF THE MEETING WITH ANDY OWUSU WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS/2ND MEETING: V20190122121735).
15. The second accused person expressed unhappiness with the Fifteen Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 15,000.00) sum arguing that, it was not the amount agreed on. We however sorted things out by agreeing that the balance for the first accused person would be Thirty-Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 35,000.00) which amount would be paid as the job progressed. The second accused person then inquired about how much he would also be paid when the job was completed. I mentioned Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 5,000.00) which the second accused person outrightly rejected insisting that we agreed on Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 50,000.00) for the first accused person and Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 50,000.00) for himself amounting to a total sum of One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 100,000.00). The raw footages of my meeting with the second accused forms part of Exhibit “BAC’ Attached and marked with description (SP/RAW FOOTAGES OF THE MEETING WITH ANDY OWUSU WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS/2ND MEETING: V20190122121735).
16. I recall that the second accused person had earlier said to me in Exhibit BAC (CALLS/ANDY/1ST EVER MEETING WITH ANDY OWUSU:
V20190121160118) that when we get to the first accused person’s office, he would present the cash to him as his Christmas gift from us since the first accused person would understand what the money was for and its real purpose and import. The second accused person also demanded that I get him a black polythene bag in which he will keep the money to prevent it from being visible which I obliged.
17. The second accused person and I finally met the first accused person in his office at the then IMCIM and I must state that that was the first time I was meeting the first accused in person. At this meeting, the second accused person introduced me to the first accused person as one of “Chairman Wontumi’s” (Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman) boys working on one of “Chairman Wontumi’s” concessions and that I had some problems with my mining concession documentation for which reason he had brought me to see the first accused person so that he could sort it out for me. The raw footages of my meeting with the first and second accused persons form part of Exhibit ‘BAC’ Attached and marked with description (SP/RAW FOOTAGES OF THE MEETING WITH CHARLES BISSUE WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS /1ST MEETING WITH BISSUE: V20190122132752
18. Thereafter, the first accused person took the documents from me and confirmed that the mining licence of ORR Resources Enterprise had expired on 3 April 2017. He, however, stated that he would work out a month or two (2) months grace period for ORR Resources Enterprise to mine while we work on the renewal of the documents. The raw footages of my meeting with the first and second accused persons form part of Exhibit “BAC’ Attached and marked with description (SP/RAW FOOTAGES OF THE MEETING WITH CHARLES BISSUE WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS/1ST MEETING WITH BISSUE: V20190122132752
19. ‘The sticker comes with embossments of logos of the Presidency, Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana Water Commission, Forestry Commission and a Quick Response “QR” Code indicating the approval of all these Agencies and Commissions. The sticker was an indicator that the entity which had it was to be permitted to mine without disturbances. So, if ORR Resources Enterprise got the sticker, it could proceed to mine for two (2) months as promised by the first accused person.
20. The first accused person would have by so doing in effect given ORR Resources Enterprise paid protection to engage in illegal mining because ORR Resources Enterprise by then did not have any valid mining licence or the required permits to engage in mining activities.
21. On 30 January 2019, I called the second accused to inform him that I was going to meet the first accused person to discuss with him whether I could get the mining concession stickers which was needed to give validation to the mining activities of ORR Resources Enterprise in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region. I further informed the second accused person that during my visit to the first accused person, I will also give him some money to reduce the outstanding balance owed him. The second accused person agreed and directed me to keep it in a brown envelope and write his name (Andy) at the back of the envelope and tell the first accused person that the money was from him. On this same call, I also told the second accused person that I would pay him some more money to reduce the outstanding balance owed him. The raw footage forms part of Exhibit ‘BAC’ titled (SP/RAW FOOTAGES OF THE MEETING WITH CHARLES BISSUE WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS /2nd MEETING WITH BISSUE/ A CALL WITH ANDY BEFORE THE MEETING: V20190130114533)
22. I made a payment of Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS5,000.00) through mobile money transfer at the MIN office, Roman Ridge branch and the second accused person confirmed receipt of this money in a phone call. The raw footage forms part of Exhibit ‘BAC’ titled (CALLS/ANDY/ ANDY’S 2ND PAYMENT THROUGH MOMO: V20190130095704, V20190130100707, V20190130100900)
23. He called Dorothy in my presence and Dorothy on the other hand explained that ORR Resources Enterprise was left with the Tax Identification Number
(TIN) to be provided so that ORR Resources Enterprise could be added to the database system. The first accused person then told Ralph to reach out to their contact person at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to get me a TIN as soon as possible and then asked Dorothy to leave the room
    42. It was also at this meeting that the second accused person and I discussed how he could get the IMCIM Task Force to offer protection to ORR Resources Enterprise while we mined. The second accused person assured me that the first accused person would take care of all of that, but we would have to go through some other people for a fee which we did. He also told me that we should approach it on a step-by-step basis.
24. At this meeting at the Georgia Hotel, the second accused person agreed to reduce his charge fees from Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 50,000.00) to Forty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 40,000) after I had impressed upon him that I would give him more contracts. I then paid him another sum of Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (5,000.00) cash as part payment of the outstanding amount. With this payment, I had now paid a total sum of Fifteen Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 15,000.00) to the second accused person. The raw footage of my meeting with the second accused person at the Georgia Hotel is part of Exhibit ‘BAC’ with description (SP/RAW FOOTAGES OF THE MEETING WITH ANDY OWUSU WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS/ 3RD MEETING AT GEORGIA: V20190210111859, V20190210112902, V20190210113905, V20190210114907, V20190210115910).
    51. I parted ways with the second accused person and when I was about to leave Kumasi on 25 February 2019 to Accra, he called me again and directed me to contact my brother and make sure we clear the arrears in respect of the first accused person and himself in the next two (2) days so that he could preserve his reputation. Submitted as part as Exhibit ‘BAC’ is a phone call conversation with the second accused person with description (CALLS/ANDY/12. LAST CALL WITH ANDY: ANDY-20190224181249).
25. On 27 February 2019, Tiger Eye PI filed a complaint at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the conduct and actions of the accused persons.
26. I was invited by the OSP to assist with investigation where I gave a statement in respect of the case. I also gave all relevant documents and videos about the case to the case investigator.