Ibrahim Mahama drags Bright Simons to court in a GHS10m defamation suit

Ibrahim Mahama, a Ghanaian billionaire and philanthropist, has sued Bright Simons. Simons is the Vice President of IMANI Africa. Mahama claims that Simons made false statements that harmed his reputation.

The lawsuit cites an article by Simons titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine.” This article was published on April 19, 2025.

In the article, Simons accused Engineers and Planners (E&P) of financial distress. He suggested that operations at the Damang gold mine had stopped. He also claimed that E&P's creditors were upset.

Simons implied that Ibrahim Mahama benefited from political connections. He suggested that E&P received unfair advantages in government mining policies. Mahama and his company called these claims “entirely false” and without basis.

In their lawsuit, they are seeking several remedies:

1. A declaration that Simons' statements are defamatory.
2. An order for Simons to publish a retraction and apology in major outlets.
3. A permanent injunction against further defamatory publications.
4. General damages of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢10,000,000).
5. Coverage of legal costs.
6. Any other orders the court finds appropriate.

This case highlights ongoing tensions regarding public statements and reputations in Ghana's business landscape.