Businessman Ibrahim Mahama has filed a defamation lawsuit against Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, over an article titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine” published on April 19, 2025. Mahama and his company, Engineers and Planners (E&P), claim the article contained “false and malicious” statements that damaged their reputations.
The article reportedly accused E&P of financial distress due to halted operations at the Damang gold mine and suggested that the company’s creditors were “up in arms.” It also insinuated that Mahama was benefiting improperly from political connections and that E&P was being unduly favored in government mining policies.
Mahama and E&P reject these claims outright, describing them as “entirely false and wholly without factual basis.” They argue the article portrays E&P as financially unstable and undermines the company’s credibility with existing and potential business partners.
The plaintiffs are seeking several reliefs, including a declaration that the statements made by Bright Simons are defamatory, a public retraction and apology, a perpetual injunction barring Simons from making further defamatory remarks, general damages amounting to GHS10 million, and legal costs.
