Ibrahim Mahama’s Lawyers Demand Retraction, Apology from Bright Simons Over Damang Mine Article
ACCRA, Ghana — April 30, 2025 — Lawyers for Ghanaian businessman Ibrahim Mahama and his company Engineers & Planners (E&P) have issued a formal demand to Bright Simons, Vice President of policy think tank IMANI Africa, over what they call defamatory and false claims made in a recent article about the Damang gold mine.
The article, titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine”, was published on April 19, 2025, on Simons’ personal website. It accuses E&P of being financially impacted by Gold Fields’ temporary mining suspension at Damang and implies that E&P holds undue influence over policy decisions at the Minerals Commission (MinComm).
Simons also suggested the company, described as being owned by “the brother of Ghana’s President,” might be at the center of potential conflicts of interest in national mining policy decisions.
In a seven-day ultimatum letter signed by the Robert Smith Law Group, solicitors for Ibrahim Mahama and E&P rejected the claims as “wholly false, malicious, and defamatory.”
“Such unfounded publications, especially from a public commentator of your stature, have the tendency to injure the hard-earned reputation of E&P, negatively affect its business operations, and diminish its standing with existing and prospective business partners and financiers,” the letter emphasized.
The lawyers argue that E&P is a legally and operationally independent entity, not subject to political direction, and that suggestions of policy manipulation or insider favoritism are baseless.
They further disputed the claim that E&P had any role in the government’s refusal to renew Gold Fields’ lease at Damang or any influence over policies requiring large-scale mining firms to work with local contractors. The lawyers also criticized the article’s mention of potential biases among MinComm officials as “speculative and irresponsible.”
The legal team has demanded an unqualified retraction and public apology within seven days, failing which they intend to pursue legal action without further notice.
As of this publication, Bright Simons has not issued any public response to the legal threat.
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