Prominent Ghanaian entrepreneur, Ibrahim Mahama, alongside his firm, Engineers & Planners, has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Bright Simons, a well-known policy expert and honorary vice president of IMANI Africa. The legal action has been filed at the High Court in Accra and seeks redress for what the plaintiffs describe as damaging and false allegations.
The lawsuit, formally submitted on May 28, 2025, revolves around an article written by Simons and published on his personal blog. The piece, titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine,” was also widely disseminated across Simons’ social media platforms on April 19, 2025. According to the plaintiffs, the publication contained several statements that were not only misleading but also injurious to Mr. Mahama’s reputation and that of his company.
In their claim, Mr. Mahama and Engineers & Planners argue that the article wrongfully insinuates that the company is facing severe financial challenges and that it enjoys undue favoritism in national mining decisions owing to Mr. Mahama’s connection to former President John Dramani Mahama, his brother. They contend that these accusations have been made without factual basis and were crafted to tarnish their image.
The plaintiffs further allege that such assertions have caused significant harm to their business credibility, especially in dealings with financial institutions, business collaborators, and regulatory bodies. The perception of political favoritism and financial instability, they argue, undermines their integrity and endangers current and future projects.
As part of the reliefs sought, Mr. Mahama is demanding GHS10 million in damages. He is also requesting a formal and unreserved retraction and public apology from Simons. This includes the publication of the apology on all platforms where the original article appeared and in a full-page format in the Daily Graphic for six continuous days. Additionally, they are pursuing a permanent injunction to bar Simons from making similar defamatory statements in the future.
The case is currently under the jurisdiction of the High Court’s General Jurisdiction division and awaits further proceedings.
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