Businessman Ibrahim Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners (E&P), have initiated legal action against Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, seeking GHS10 million in damages for defamation.
The suit, filed at the Accra High Court, arises from an April 19, 2025 article titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine,” published on Simons’ personal website and shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
The article allegedly accused E&P of financial distress linked to halted operations at the Damang gold mine and implied that Mahama was improperly benefiting from political influence, suggesting undue favoritism in government mining policies.
The plaintiffs contend that these allegations are false and have caused significant harm to their reputations and business credibility, both locally and internationally.
They are demanding a formal declaration that the statements are defamatory, a public retraction and apology on the same digital platforms, as well as a full-page advertisement in the Daily Graphic for six consecutive editions over three months.
Additionally, they seek a perpetual injunction against further defamatory comments, general damages of GHS10 million, and coverage of legal costs. The case underscores rising tensions between political-economic interests and public accountability debates within Ghana’s mining sector.
