Ibrahim Mahama Sues Bright Simons for Defamation Over Gold Mine Article
Ghanaian businessman and founder of Engineers & Planners (E&P), Ibrahim Mahama, has filed a defamation suit against Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, over claims published in an article that he says have severely harmed his reputation and that of his company.
The lawsuit, filed at an Accra High Court on May 28, 2025, accuses Mr Simons of authoring and widely circulating what Mr Mahama describes as “false and malicious” content aimed at discrediting his business operations and character.
At the centre of the suit is an article authored by Mr Simons titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine”, published on April 19, 2025, on his personal blog, brightsimons.com. The article, which also appeared on Mr Simons’ official X (formerly Twitter) account @BBSimons, quickly gained traction across digital platforms.
According to court documents, the plaintiffs argue that the wide circulation of the article amplified its damaging effects, particularly allegations that suggest E&P is in “financial distress” due to halted operations at the Damang gold mine, and that the company’s creditors were “up in arms”.
The article is also said to contain insinuations that Mr Mahama, who is the brother of President John Dramani Mahama, had leveraged political ties to secure preferential treatment in the mining sector—claims the plaintiffs vehemently deny.
“The statements are entirely false and wholly without factual basis,” Mr Mahama and E&P stated in their writ, adding that the publication falsely portrays E&P as financially unstable, thereby undermining its credibility with existing and potential business partners.
Mr Mahama through the writ, is seeking the following reliefs from the court:
A declaration that the statements made by Mr Simons are defamatory;
A public retraction and apology to be published on the same digital platforms and as a full-page advertisement in the Daily Graphic for six consecutive editions over a three-month period;
A perpetual injunction restraining Mr Simons from making further defamatory statements;
General damages totalling GH¢10 million;
Legal costs and any other relief the court deems fit.
Read Content of Suit Below:
