Ibrahim Mahama drags Policy Analyst to court in a defamatory lawsuit over alleged false article

Businessman Ibrahim Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners, have filed a defamation lawsuit against Bright Simons, vice president of IMANI Ghana, at the High Court in Accra.

In the suit, dated May 28, 2025, Ibrahim Mahama and his company claim that Bright Simons published false and damaging statements about them in an article titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine”. The article was posted on Bright Simons’ personal website and shared on social media on April 19, 2025.

The plaintiffs argue that the article wrongly implies that Engineers & Planners is financially unstable and has undue influence over government decisions in the mining sector. They say the article suggests that because of Ibrahim Mahama’s family ties to President John Dramani Mahama, the company is able to sway mining policies in its favour, potentially at the cost of national interest.

Ibrahim Mahama contends that these allegations have hurt his reputation and damaged his business relationships with financial institutions, international partners, and industry regulators.

As part of the lawsuit, Mahama and Engineers & Planners are demanding:

● A declaration from the court that the statements are defamatory;

● Damages amounting to GHS10 million;

● A retraction and apology published on all platforms where the article appeared;

● A full-page apology in the Daily Graphic for six consecutive editions;

● A perpetual injunction stopping Simons from publishing similar statements in the future.

The case is currently before the High Court’s General Jurisdiction division and is awaiting further proceedings.

While Simons has yet to respond publicly to the lawsuit, the matter has sparked public attention due to the individuals and institutions involved.