The Office of the Special Prosecutor has secured the conviction of Thomas Andy Owusu, aide to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, for his role in a galamsey-related bribery scandal.
The High Court convicted Owusu, who was the second accused in the case of The Republic v. Charles Bissue & Another, after he pleaded guilty. The conviction followed the court’s acceptance of a plea agreement entered under Section 71 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
Owusu was charged with Corruption of a Public Officer and Accepting Bribe to Influence a Public Officer, offences that emerged from the 2019 investigative documentary “Galamsey Fraud Part One” by Tiger Eye PI. The exposé implicated both Owusu and former presidential staffer Charles Bissue in facilitating illegal mining licences in exchange for bribes, bypassing official procedures.
Per the terms of the plea agreement, Owusu is to:
- Pay a fine of 500 penalty units, equivalent to GHS 6,000, and
- Make restitution of GHS 200,000 to the state
The conviction is based on his acceptance of a GHS 15,000 bribe to influence public office duties related to mining licence approvals.
Following the guilty plea and sentence, the court struck out two additional charges initially levelled against Owusu.
With Owusu’s conviction concluded, the case now focuses solely on the first accused, Charles Bissue, who faces the charge of Using Public Office for Profit, contrary to Section 179C(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Bissue is expected to return to court on June 10, 2025, for a scheduled Case Management Conference as the prosecution proceeds