An aide to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party has been convicted for his role in a high-profile illegal mining corruption case, marking a rare guilty plea under Ghana’s Special Prosecutor Act.
Thomas Andy Owusu, a former aide to Bernard Antwi-Boasiako — popularly known as Chairman Wontumi — was convicted by the High Court on Wednesday after entering a plea agreement in connection with a 2019 investigative documentary that exposed alleged corruption in the illegal mining (galamsey) licensing regime.
Owusu pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges and agreed to pay a total of GH₵206,000 in fines and restitution to the state. He was charged with offering a bribe of GH₵15,000 to influence a public officer — an offence that was caught on camera in the “Galamsey Fraud Part One” exposé by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye PI team.
As part of the plea bargain accepted under Section 71 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), Owusu was fined 500 penalty units, the equivalent of GH₵6,000, and ordered to pay an additional GH₵200,000 in restitution.
Two additional charges — corruption of a public officer and accepting a bribe to influence a public officer — were dropped following the court’s acceptance of the agreement.
The case, The Republic v. Charles Bissue & another, continues to draw public interest as it proceeds against the first accused, Charles Bissue, a former secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining and once a presidential staffer. His case now proceeds as a standalone prosecution.
Bissue, who was also implicated in the Tiger Eye PI documentary, faces a charge of using public office for profit, contrary to section 179C(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). His trial is set to resume on 10 June 2025 with a case management conference.
The Special Prosecutor’s office, which took over the case following the documentary’s release, has faced public pressure to secure convictions in high-stakes corruption cases. Owusu’s guilty plea and sentencing provide a rare victory for the office and a potentially significant precedent for future prosecutions under the relatively new anti-corruption legislation.
Legal analysts say the development may have strategic implications for the state’s case against Bissue, who has consistently denied wrongdoing. With Owusu’s conviction no longer a variable in the trial, the prosecution is now expected to narrow its focus on the former government official’s alleged role in facilitating unlicensed mining operations.
The 2019 exposé ignited public outrage over the failure of state authorities to tackle illegal mining and corruption within key regulatory bodies. In the video footage, officials were seen allegedly taking cash in exchange for expediting mining licence approvals — a practice that undermines environmental enforcement and governance.
Though the scandal initially led to administrative suspensions and internal investigations, it is only in recent years that the legal consequences have begun to materialise.
Owusu’s conviction is likely to renew public scrutiny on political interference and accountability within the fight against galamsey — a critical issue as Ghana continues to grapple with the environmental and social costs of illegal mining.
