Bright Simons’ Lawyers Challenge Ibrahim Mahama to Admit or Deny Financial Claims Involving E&P

Bright Simons’ Lawyers Challenge Ibrahim Mahama to Admit or Deny Financial Claims Involving E&P

Lawyers for Ghanaian social innovator and policy analyst, Bright Simons, have formally challenged businessman Ibrahim Mahama and Engineers & Planners (E&P), to either admit or deny a series of detailed claims regarding their financial dealings and corporate relationships—particularly those linked to mining operations at Gold Fields’ Damang site.

Filed at the High Court, the document—dated June 2, 2025, and signed by lawyer Samuel Alesu-Dordzi of Audrey Grey Unlimited—demands clarity on 34 specific factual assertions concerning the financial position and political associations of Mr Mahama and E&P.

Among the facts being asserted for admission is the claim that Mr Ibrahim Mahama, identified as the 1st Plaintiff, is the sole shareholder of E&P (the 2nd Plaintiff), and also the brother of Ghana’s President, which, by association, makes him a politically exposed person (PEP). According to the filing, Mr Mahama was classified as a high-risk PEP by the Appleby Law Firm during a 2013 engagement related to offshore registration services for Red Sky Aviation in the Isle of Man.

The filing further outlines E&P’s lucrative mining services contracts with Abosso Goldfields Limited, operators of the Damang Gold Mine. It states that between 2015 and 2019, E&P executed a contract worth approximately $117 million, which was its largest mining services deal in Ghana during that period. In 2019, the company signed a second deal valued at around $300 million, expected to span from 2020 to 2025, covering services such as ore blasting, haulage, road maintenance, and drilling.

Per the facts outlined, these two Damang contracts collectively became either the second or third largest commercial mining projects for E&P globally during the decade-long span from 2015 to 2025. The Damang site, it claims, accounted for at least 25% of E&P’s total mining revenue during this time frame.

However, operations at Damang were suspended in 2023—a development which, according to the court filing, adversely impacted E&P’s revenue and ability to meet loan obligations. It notes that E&P has since held creditor discussions with Stanbic Bank Ghana and other financiers over loan servicing arrangements. The company is also said to have defaulted on a medium-term facility from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment & Development (EBID), leading to a loan restructuring in 2023. The filing adds that E&P is currently one of only two firms with a restructured facility on EBID’s books.

The claims also allege that E&P has not serviced a $68 million loan secured in 2020 for fleet expansion at the Damang site, resulting in accrued interest and penalties between 2020 and 2023. The creditor involved is said to have made a credit loss provision against the facility.

In a further set of disclosures, the document notes that E&P has attempted to acquire the Cardinal Namdini Mines in the Upper East Region and continues efforts to raise financing to expand mining operations across Africa. It also highlights a $230 million equipment financing agreement signed with the Mansour Group, and a loan from Stanbic exceeding $50 million.

Of potential regulatory interest are claims that the Plaintiffs—Mr Mahama and E&P—are aware that former employees of the company now occupy high-ranking positions at the Minerals Commission, including individuals named Victoria Awuni and Isaac Tandoh.

Bright Simons’ legal team is demanding that the Plaintiffs either admit or deny each of the outlined claims, which may have implications for the credibility of E&P’s financial standing and the transparency of its mining-related operations.

This challenge follows a legal battle between the parties, with Mr Mahama and E&P previously initiating a defamation suit against Mr Simons over publications related to E&P’s operations and finances.

The matter is before the High Court (General Jurisdiction) in Accra.