'The money was from Wontumi, not a bribe' - Charles Bissue speaks on Anas exposé

Presidential Staffer, Charles Bissue has insisted he never received bribes to bend rules and give authorisation to persons working against Ghana’s efforts to combat illegal mining.

According to him, the money he was seen taking in the video was money for party activities and not a bribe.

In a documentary released in March 2019 by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the then Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, emerged the highest-profile individual allegedly working against Ghana’s efforts to combat galamsey.

He was seen collecting wads of cash from undercover investigators.

Bissue allegedly facilitated for ORR Resource Enterprise, a company seeking to circumvent laid down processes to be given clearance for its mining operations.

The politician addressing this allegation on Happy 98.9 FM’s ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ political talk show with host, Afrifa-Mensah said, “The money was for a party activity. Andy, Wontumi’s PA was the one handing me the money. The money was not related to the Inter-Ministerial Committee. It was a party thing.

If it was a bribe, I wouldn’t have said all the things via phone. I would’ve gone to the offices to undertake the transaction on my own”.

He asserted that he was not willing to take any amount of money to destroy the trust President Akufo-Addo had in him. “I have not taken anybody’s money and I will not disgrace the President by taking 20,000 cedi’s which will not change my life”.

Charles Bissue noted that if he had truly taken a bribe from any person he would have laid down his duties at the presidency in a heartbeat. “I know I didn’t do it and vindication comes with time. God is using me to expose and stop the suffering others have gone through.”

Charles who only wants the truth noted, “The only thing that hurts me is that my mother suffered two heart attacks and nearly died. If she had died, I would’ve regretted for the rest of my life. I want her to live and find the truth”.

Kind hearted Charles motioned that he has forgiven all his detractors and vowed to repeat the work he did for the committee a thousand times if he was given the opportunity again.