The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has said that it has the power to arrest any person reasonably suspected to have committed corruption or corruption-related offenses.
“The general public is advised, that in the exercise of its police powers, the Office of the Special Prosecutor can arrest without a warrant, any person it reasonably suspects of having committed corruption or corruption-related offenses,” the OSP tweeted after the Human Rights Court 2 in Accra slapped an interim injunction on it and its agents or assigns from executing the arrest warrant issued for former Presidential Staffer Charles Cromwell Onuawonto Bissue.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The general public is advised, that in exercise of its police powers, the Office of the Special Prosecutor can arrest without a warrant, any person it reasonably suspects of having committed corruption or corruption-related offences. pic.twitter.com/Qjjmbjl8cU
— Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) June 15, 2023
The warrant was issued on Tuesday, June 13 following the refusal by lawyers of the former Secretary to the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) to honour OSP’s invitation.
Charles Bissue, a former Western Region Secretary for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), had gone to court to demand documents backing the OSP’s invitation to him over the investigations of corruption and corruption-related activities on illegal mining.
Nonetheless, the OSP issued the arrest warrant.
“If you have an information concerning this person, please contact the Office of the Special Prosecutor,” it said in a notice posted on its website on Tuesday, June 13.
But Justice Nicholas MC Abodakpi of the Human Rights Court 2 following an application by the lawyers of Charles Bissue on Thursday, June 15 made an order for interim injunction, restraining the OSP from, inter alia, publishing notices purporting that Mr Bissue is wanted.
This is to be in force pending the determination of the substantive matter.
The case was adjourned to Thursday, June 22.