In a dramatic turn in the high-profile defamation case brought against him, IMANI Africa Vice President Bright Simons has filed a motion at the High Court demanding that businessman Ibrahim Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners (E&P), admit to a series of detailed factual claims regarding their financial operations and political ties.
The motion, which forms part of Simons’ legal defense, outlines 38 specific assertions that he is asking the plaintiffs to confirm within 14 days. The aim, according to legal observers, is to establish context around Mahama’s business activities, political exposure, and financial arrangements—especially those linked to Ghana’s mining sector.
Among the most striking claims, Simons asserts that Ibrahim Mahama is the sole shareholder of Engineers & Planners and is a politically exposed person due to his status as the brother of former President John Dramani Mahama. The motion also references a 2013 classification by offshore law firm Appleby that labelled Mahama “high-risk” in a transaction involving Red Sky Aviation.
Simons is further seeking confirmation of substantial contracts between Engineers & Planners and Abosso Goldfields Limited—totaling $117 million from 2015 to 2019 and an additional $300 million from 2020 to 2025. He argues that these contracts have made up a significant portion of the company’s mining revenue, particularly from operations at the Damang Gold Mine.
The motion also claims that E&P has received no payments from Abosso Goldfields since mining at Damang was halted in 2023, and is now negotiating with financial institutions, including Stanbic Bank Ghana, over debts and loan repayments. According to the motion, the company has borrowed over $50 million from Stanbic and entered into a $230 million equipment financing deal with the Mansour Group.
Other facts Simons wants admitted include a failed bid by E&P to acquire Cardinal Namdini Mines, ongoing efforts to finance new mining assets, and the placement of former E&P personnel in influential roles at the Minerals Commission.
The motion comes in response to a defamation lawsuit filed by Ibrahim Mahama, who alleges that Simons made “false and malicious” claims that damaged his reputation and that of his company. However, with this legal counter-move, Simons appears poised to shift the case toward broader issues of transparency, political influence, and public accountability in the intersection of business and governance.
Legal analysts say the case could become a landmark in balancing corporate reputation with the right to scrutinize public-interest figures and politically connected enterprises.
