Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has formally entered an appearance in the GH¢10 million defamation suit filed against him by businessman Ibrahim Mahama at the Accra High Court.
Mr. Simons has filed a motion demanding that Mr. Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners (E&P), formally admit to 38 distinct facts central to their ongoing legal dispute.
Mr. Mahama’s suit, filed on Wednesday, May 28, stems from an article written by Mr. Simons titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine,” published on his website, brightsimons.com, on April 19, 2025.
Mr. Mahama claims the article contains statements that have severely damaged both his personal reputation and that of his company.
The article was later shared on Mr. Simons’ official X (formerly Twitter) handle, @BBSimons, where it garnered over 93,000 views, 250 reactions, 98 reposts, 26 comments, and 109 bookmarks. According to the plaintiff, this wide engagement significantly contributed to the circulation of the allegedly defamatory content.
However, Mr. Simons’ motion seeks to establish key background facts regarding Mr. Mahama’s extensive business dealings, strong political ties, and financial interests—particularly 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.
The motion further cites a 2013 classification by offshore legal firm Appleby, which identified Mr. Mahama as a “high-risk politically exposed person” during the registration of Red Sky Aviation in the Isle of Man—an element that could influence the court’s assessment of his public profile.
A substantial portion of the motion focuses on E&P’s contracts with Abosso Goldfields Limited. Mr. Simons is urging the court to confirm that these contracts—estimated at $117 million between 2015 and 2019 and rising to $300 million from 2020 to 2025—are among E&P’s most significant revenue streams both locally and internationally.
The motion specifically states that revenue from the Damang Gold Mine alone accounts for at least 25% of E&P’s total mining income over the past decade. It also alleges that E&P has not received payments from Abosso Goldfields since operations at Damang were halted in 2023.
As a result, Mr. Simons contends the company has entered critical negotiations with financial institutions, including Stanbic Bank Ghana, over loan repayment challenges.
The motion further reveals that E&P has secured loans exceeding $50 million from Stanbic and signed a $230 million equipment financing deal with the Mansour Group, primarily for Caterpillar machinery.