Former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Small Scale Mining, Charles Onuawonto Bissue has disclosed that he was once set up by a team member he once sacked.
According to him he once sacked one Francis Owusu Acheampong whom he was introduced to by former Science and Environment Minister Prof. Frimpong Boateng over corruption.
He noted that the said Francis set him up after he (Charles) refused to give in to the former’s persistent request for them both to engage in illegal mining.
He stressed that because he believed in the mandate that was given him by the President Nana Akufo-Addo, he sacked Francis Owusu Acheampong from his team, adding that a video of him taking bribe was nothing but a set up.
After investigation into Mr. Bissue’s issue in July 2019, the police found that he wasn’t guilty of any offence.
“Prof. introduced him to me as a geologist, later I found out he was none of that. Along the line, he kept pestering me that we should get some concession and engage in illegal mining. I told him I stood for none of that because my commitment to the job won’t allow me to compromise myself. I believed in the mandate given me by the President and I wanted to deliver on it so eventually I sacked him from that office.
“I’ve known for two years that the video of me taking money was a setup. If you’re asking that we do mining illegally and I refuse as your body, it’s obvious I’m an impediment,” he told Nana Aba Anamoah on Starr Chat Wednesday”, he stated.