Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue

19/07/2026

A beautiful reharmonized piano version of “Otsene Ne Nsa Ne Bre Mu”...

08/07/2026

SEVEN YEARS ON: JUSTICE, TIME AND THE PUBLIC PURSE

For seven years, I have submitted myself to the judicial process and remained committed to clearing my name through the courts.

The prosecution began with a 54-paragraph witness statement. After successive objections and rulings of the Court, the number was reduced to 24 paragraphs and, following further rulings last Monday, only 19 paragraphs now remain.

The OSP was directed to provide the remaining video material on a pen drive for the defence to study. At the latest sitting, further video material was introduced, requiring the defence to study it before proceedings could continue.

This morning, my lawyer, Augustine Obuor, stated in a radio interview that about 20 additional videos had been introduced and that, in his assessment, they contain nothing materially new and are recycled material.

After seven years, it is legitimate to ask questions.

How long should a citizen wait for the conclusion of a criminal trial? How much public time, institutional energy and taxpayers’ money should be committed to a prosecution before the public can expect finality?

These are questions of justice, accountability and responsible use of public resources.

The power of the State is immense. But with that power comes an equally immense duty to act fairly, efficiently and responsibly.

I remain confident in the judicial process and will continue to defend myself before the Court.

I have always believed that vindication dwells in the womb of time.

And time, eventually, brings all things to light.

23/06/2026

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR

Kissi,

Seven years ago, when these allegations first arose, I voluntarily stepped aside from my position as Secretary to the Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining and from President Akufo Addo's Government. No one asked me to do so. I stepped aside because I believed investigations should proceed without any suggestion of interference.
For years, this matter remained with the Office of the Special Prosecutor before it was finally brought before the High Court. During that time, I repeatedly reported to your Office whenever required. My life, my career and my reputation remained on hold while I waited for my day in court.

For seven years, I have lived with the consequences of this prosecution.
My reputation has been damaged. My career has been interrupted. My businesses have suffered. I have incurred enormous legal costs, and my family has borne an unimaginable burden.

During this ordeal, my late mother suffered two heart attacks before I eventually lost her. Watching her endure the anxiety and emotional pain associated with this prolonged process remains one of the greatest tragedies of my life.

These are not just legal proceedings. They have real human consequences.
Throughout this process, I have honoured every invitation, complied with every lawful requirement and never sought to evade justice.

When the High Court struck out 24 paragraphs of your witness statement, the Office of the Special Prosecutor sought to suspend the trial. The High Court rejected that application.
I AM READY FOR TRIAL.

My case concerns an allegation involving GH¢20,000. I have never argued that it should not be prosecuted because of the amount involved. Whether an allegation concerns GH¢20,000 or GH¢20 million, the law must apply equally. Every allegation deserves to be investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted.

My concern has never been the amount. My concern has always been fairness, transparency, consistency and equal justice under the law.

Before your appointment as Special Prosecutor, you acted as counsel for Anas Aremeyaw Anas. For the sake of transparency, I am attaching excerpts from official records obtained from the Registrar of Companies relating to your former law practice. These are public records, and I invite Ghanaians to examine them and draw their own conclusions.

The public is also aware of the writings of former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu concerning matters in which you had previously acted as counsel before your appointment as Special Prosecutor, including matters relating to TekStart Africa Limited and the National Lottery Authority. Those writings remain in the public domain and speak for themselves.

My purpose is not to prejudge anyone. It is simply to call for transparency, consistency and fairness, and to insist that my own case be concluded by the Court through a full trial.
There is another issue that deserves public attention.

A video was widely broadcast to the Ghanaian public when this matter first arose. However, the full video was not tendered before the High Court. Instead, selected excerpts were presented. From the evidence tendered before the Court, I do not appear in any of the video excerpts relied upon by the prosecution.

These are matters that deserve to be tested in open court.
The courtroom, not the court of public opinion, is where evidence must be tested.
After everything I have lost over the past seven years, I do not want this matter to end through a nolle prosequi or any other process that denies the Court the opportunity to determine the truth.
I DO NOT SUPPORT A NOLLE PROSEQUI.

I WANT THE TRIAL TO CONTINUE.
If the prosecution has evidence, let it present it.
If the defence has evidence, let it challenge the prosecution's case.
If I unlawfully accepted even one cedi, let the Court convict me.
If I did not, let the Court acquit me.
I stepped aside voluntarily.
I submitted myself to every investigation.
I honoured every invitation.
I have waited seven years.

LET THE COURT HEAR THE EVIDENCE.
LET THE COURT DETERMINE THE TRUTH.
LET THE TRIAL CONTINUE.

Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue
Former Presidential Staffer
Former Secretary, Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining

JoyNews Citi TV TV3 Ghana GHOne TV

21/06/2026

Cheers to every father. You are the Heroes of this world!!!

09/06/2026

Vindication is in the womb of time

17/05/2026

Congrats to the newly elected polling stations of the our great party; the New Patriotic Party (NPP: Development in Freedom)

14/05/2026

The butterfly doesn’t see its transformation as loss. It sees it as wings. So let what’s falling away make room for what’s ready to emerge. You are not being unmade; you are being reshaped into something stronger, wiser, and more fully yourself.

10/05/2026

19/04/2026

**The independence of the Office of the Special Prosecutor must not be left to chance.**

We may need to take a step back and reflect on how we got here.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor was established in 2017 under the Akufo Addo administration through the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against corruption. At the time, it was widely seen as a necessary reform to improve accountability and restore public confidence.

Today, however, the public debate around the office has become increasingly contentious, with different political actors expressing varying levels of support and criticism.

This raises a deeper question that goes beyond any individual or any current office holder.

What this suggests is that when institutions become subjects of political contestation, their perceived independence can be weakened. That is precisely why we may need to think more boldly about how such offices are constituted, and whether a more direct public mandate could strengthen both trust and legitimacy.

We often describe key institutions as independent. Yet many of these institutions are structured in ways where their leadership ultimately originates from the Executive.

This is not about questioning the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. It clearly provides for appointment processes that involve the President, consultation, and Parliamentary approval, with safeguards for removal.

However, beyond legality lies an equally important issue: public perception and institutional confidence.

Can an institution be fully trusted as independent if its leadership is closely linked, at the point of appointment, to the authority it may be required to scrutinise?

If the goal is to build a truly independent anti corruption body, then perhaps we must begin to think more differently about how such an office is constituted.

In our current political environment, public trust in political actors is not as strong as it should be. That reality matters when we think about institutions that are expected to act independently.

One way to strengthen confidence is to give the public a more direct role in how such offices are constituted.

If the Special Prosecutor were elected, for example, citizens would feel a sense of ownership in that choice. That participation can translate into greater trust in the decisions of the office, even where those decisions are difficult or unpopular.

At the same time, the governance structure of the office should reflect the same principle of independence.

A more balanced approach could combine:

1. A direct public mandate for the Special Prosecutor, with a fixed term of office and clear qualification requirements
2. A multi body selection process for the governing board, involving institutions such as the Judiciary, Parliament, professional bodies, and civil society
3. A participatory element, where some members are selected at the regional level to deepen public involvement

These approaches are not mutually exclusive. Together, they create a system where both institutional balance and public participation reinforce each other.

But we must also be clear about what this means.

Moving towards such a model would not be a simple legal adjustment. It would require a fundamental rethink of how prosecutorial authority is structured under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. It is, therefore, a constitutional question, not just a statutory one.

And if we are not prepared to confront that level of reform, then we must also be realistic about the limits of the system we currently operate.

These are not easy reforms. But if we are serious about building institutions that command public trust, then we must be prepared to examine not just their powers, but how they are designed.

Because in the end, independence is not only declared.
It must also be structurally credible.

Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue