High Court approves OSP protected witness in Bissue corruption case
The Criminal Division of the High Court has granted the request by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to allow its first prosecution witness to testify in camera in the high-profile corruption trial involving Charles Bissue and two others. The decision reflects serious security concerns and potential risks should the witness’s identity be disclosed publicly.
Bissue, who served as Secretary to the now-dissolved Inter‑Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), along with the co-accused are charged with corruption and abuse of public office. Prosecutors allege the accused bypassed established IMCIM procedures to benefit a company regarded as unqualified, a claim rooted in a media-led exposé and a subsequent petition to the OSP.
During the court proceedings, defence lawyers opposed the confidentiality request, arguing that it undermines public access to justice. Nevertheless, the court sided with the prosecution, citing constitutional and statutory provisions that allow for protected testimony under exceptional security risks.
The trial has been adjourned to 12 January 2026 for continuation under the secured conditions.
Observers say the ruling represents a careful balancing of the public interest in transparency against the need to protect individuals vital to anti-corruption efforts. The case is also widely seen as a litmus test for the OSP’s capacity to prosecute sensitive corruption linked to illegal mining (galamsey) under safe conditions for witnesses.
Whether the protected testimony will help secure a conviction remains to be seen. But supporters of strong institutional accountability believe this step reinforces the seriousness of Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture and signals that high-stakes trials can proceed without compromising witness safety.
