Bright Simons responds to Ibrahim Mahama’s suit

Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons has responded to the GH¢10 million defamation suit filed by businessman Ibrahim Mahama against him at the Accra High Court.

The suit stems from an article titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine,” published by Simons on April 19, 2024.

According to Mr. Mahama, the article damaged his personal and company reputation, citing over 93,000 views and significant engagement on Simons’ X handle.

However, Mr. Simons has filed a motion demanding Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners, admit to 38 key facts in the dispute.

The motion seeks to establish background facts about Mahama’s business dealings, political ties, and financial interests in Ghana’s mining sector.

His legal team has given Mr. Mahama a 14-day deadline to respond to the assertions, which cover a range of topics from Mr. Mahama’s status as a politically exposed person (PEP) to specific financial and contractual relationships involving E&P.

Among other things, Mr. Simons is seeking confirmation that Mr. Mahama is the sole shareholder of Engineers & Planners (E&P), and draws attention to his familial link to the presidency, identifying him as the brother of President John Dramani Mahama.

As a result, Mr. Simons contends the company has entered critical negotiations with financial institutions, including Stanbic Bank Ghana, over loan repayment challenges.