Prominent businessman Ibrahim Mahama has taken legal action against Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, filing a defamation lawsuit at the Accra High Court. Mahama, along with his company Engineers and Planners (E&P), claims that Simons published a series of damaging and baseless statements that have severely tarnished their reputations.
The lawsuit, filed on May 28, stems from an article authored by Simons titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine”, which was published on April 19, 2025, on his personal website.
Simons also amplified the article via his official X account (@BBSimons), where it quickly gained significant traction—garnering over 93,000 views, 250 reactions, nearly 100 reposts, and dozens of comments and bookmarks within weeks.
According to Mahama and E&P, the article falsely suggested the company was experiencing financial turmoil due to paused operations at the Damang gold mine. It also implied that creditors were alarmed and accused Mahama—brother of former President John Mahama—of leveraging political ties for improper gain, particularly in securing favorable mining policy outcomes.
The plaintiffs categorically deny all allegations, labeling them “entirely false and without factual foundation.” They contend that the statements not only misrepresent E&P as financially unstable but also jeopardize its reputation with business partners and potential investors.
Mahama and E&P are demanding:
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A formal declaration that the statements made by Simons are defamatory;
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A public retraction and apology, both online and through full-page ads in the Daily Graphic over three consecutive months;
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A perpetual injunction preventing Simons from making similar claims in the future;
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General damages of GHS10 million;
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Coverage of legal costs and any additional relief the court may see fit.
The case underscores growing tensions between political advocacy and private sector accountability in Ghana’s mining sector.
