Ibrahim Mahama threatens to sue Manasseh
In the latest development, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, the CEO of Engineers & Planners Limited, has requested investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni to retract and issue an apology for claims made in his book “The President Ghana Never Got” within seven days or face legal action. The book alleged that the sale of Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) to Fortiz, a private equity firm, caused controversy in 2013. It was stated that FirstRand Bank of South Africa offered GH₵176million for 75% of Merchant Bank’s shares, while Fortiz offered GH₵90million for 90% of the shares.
The book also suggested that Ibrahim Mahama, the brother of President John Mahama, was a major debtor of Merchant Bank, contributing to its financial struggles. Mr. Mahama has denied these claims and through his solicitors, demanded a retraction and apology from Mr. Awuni. The letter from the solicitors highlighted the negative impact of the publication on Mr. Mahama’s reputation and warned of legal action if the demands are not met within seven days.
Read the demand letter
There is a good reason why you should support the African Editors. Not everyone can afford to pay for news right now. That is why we keep our journalism open for everyone to read, including in Ghana. If this is you, please continue to read for free. But if you are able to, then there are three good reasons to support us today.
1. Our quality, journalism is a scrutinising force at a time when the rich and powerful are getting away with more and more.
2. We are independent and have no billionaire owner pulling the strings, so your money directly powers our reporting.
3. It doesn’t cost much, and takes less time than it took to read this message.
Help power the African Editors' journalism for the years to come, whether with a small sum or a larger one. If you can, please support us on a monthly basis from just 1 Ghana Cedi through mobile money number: 0599896099/ +23359989609 and you can be rest assured that you’re making a big impact every single month in support of open, independent journalism. Thank you.
