Renowned businessman Ibrahim Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners, have filed a GHS10 million defamation lawsuit against policy analyst and honorary vice president of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons.

The suit, lodged at the High Court in Accra, seeks a declaration that specific statements made by Simons were defamatory, alongside monetary damages, a public retraction, and a perpetual injunction to prevent further publication of the alleged defamatory content.

According to the statement of claim dated May 28, 2025, Simons allegedly published an article titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine” on April 19, 2025. The article appeared on his personal website and was shared across his social media platforms.

Ibrahim Mahama contends that the publication contains false and malicious assertions, including claims that Engineers & Planners was financially distressed and had improper influence over government decisions in the mining sector—allegedly due to his familial connection to former President John Dramani Mahama.

The plaintiffs argue that the article implied potential national financial losses and conflicts of interest within the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. They maintain that such claims have severely harmed their professional reputation, undermined relationships with financial institutions, business partners, and regulatory bodies.

In addition to damages, Ibrahim Mahama and Engineers & Planners are requesting:

• An unqualified retraction and apology from Bright Simons published on the same platforms used to disseminate the original article.
• A full-page apology in the Daily Graphic for six consecutive editions.
• A perpetual injunction restraining Simons from making similar defamatory statements in the future.

The case is currently before the General Jurisdiction division of the High Court in Accra.

Read full writ here.   SIMONS-WRIT