Ibrahim Mahama, a prominent Ghanaian businessman and the founder of Engineers and Planners Ltd., has filed a defamation lawsuit against Bright Simons, Vice President of the policy think tank IMANI Africa. The lawsuit stems from a sharply critical article published in April that Mahama alleges has caused serious reputational harm to both himself and his company.

According to legal documents filed in the Accra High Court on May 28, Mahama is seeking a court declaration that Simons’ statements were defamatory, along with general damages totaling GHS10 million (approximately $725,000), a public apology, and a permanent injunction preventing further defamatory publications.

The complaint centers on an article written by Simons titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine,” published April 19 on his personal website, brightsimons.com. Mr. Simons also shared the piece with his 168,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter, where it quickly gained traction—reportedly garnering over 93,000 views and hundreds of engagements by early May.

In the article, Simons alleged that Engineers and Planners, Mahama’s mining logistics firm, was experiencing financial distress linked to halted operations at the Damang gold mine. He also suggested the firm was receiving preferential treatment from the Ghanaian government and benefiting from Mahama’s familial ties to  President John Mahama.

The plaintiffs contend the claims are “entirely false and wholly without factual basis.” They argue the publication paints E&P as financially unstable and politically compromised, potentially undermining its credibility with partners, lenders, and stakeholders.

Mr. Mahama’s legal team is requesting a public retraction and formal apology from Simons, to be published across the same digital platforms and in six consecutive full-page ads in the Daily Graphic, Ghana’s leading state-owned newspaper.

Simons has yet to respond publicly to the lawsuit.

Source:TheDotNews