Kweku Baako reacts to Charles Bissue's 'exoneration'

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has exonerated former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Mr. Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, from allegations of corruption.

However, Special Prosecutor, Martin A.B.A. Amidu says he is still investigating the issue.

This has generated controversy as many don't know if they should work with the CID report or wait for Martin Amidu to conclude his investigation.

Speaking to this on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper says some aspect of the CID report is "sketchy".

They said the Minister of Environment Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, incidentally, head of the Inter-Ministerial committee had some responsibility there so he had invited the Police to investigate the case”.

“At that time, Tiger Eye had petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor and they had begun cooperating with the special prosecutor. They sent their petition on 27th February 2019. I remember through a telephone conversation on Asempa FM’s “Ekosisen” Program, I cautioned the Police against the projected investigation. I did so on the basis that Tiger had petitioned the special prosecutor that they had begun cooperating with the special prosecutor. The raw unedited footage that people are creating myth out of had already been presented to the office of the special prosecutor for the investigations. So I told them that what they were doing was what I considered a needless intrusion even if it was on the invitation of the Minister of state and I was wondering whether the minister of state did not know; because it was public that the special prosecutor was investigating the matter”.

“So clearly I anticipated some confusion and that is what is happening. This doesn’t help the state neither does it even help the government. It’s Unnecessary and needless. It’s different if the petitioner petitioned the two bodies, but in this case, he petitioned only one body”, he stated.

“Professor Frimpong Boateng invited the CID to investigate the issue. I have the letter which is dated 2nd March 2019 where he invited the CID. What is interesting is that what is out there was a request. The CID Reports itself is dated 29th May 2019 addressed to the Minister of Interior. What I think has brought the case to public domain now is that There was a request that lawyers for Charles Bissue made to the Police for a copy of the CID report. CID in responding to the request of the lawyers wrote a letter dated July 2019. As to why they didn’t send the letter to Frimpong Boateng I wouldn’t know. The 6-page letter from the CID was signed by one Isaac Ken Yeboah. They tried to get Anas to deal with them but he politely told them that because he had gone to the Special Prosecutor, he is unable to deal with them. This is captured in the CID report.

The letter reads; “comments and conclusion “the investigations primarily relied on the documentary and other sources as indicated. Anas Aremeyaw Anas failed to avail himself to assist in investigations and also provide a copy of the unedited version of the documentary. He said he has already filed a petition with the office of the special prosecutor, moreover the key witness in the case Yaw Ben is not available to assist in investigations to substantiate the claims of bribery against the respective suspect. Strenuous efforts were made to contact him on his known telephone number but was to no avail. At the conclusion of investigations, based on available evidence, none of the suspects was found to be culpable for any offence.