Investigative journalist Manasseh Awuni Azure has been given a seven-day ultimatum to delete pages 98 to 99 from his latest book, titled “The President Ghana Never Got.”
Businessman Ibrahim Mahama notes with concern that the content of those two pages is untrue and should be retracted from the book.
His concerns were contained in a letter dated Thursday, August 22, 2024, signed by his Solicitors – Robert Smith Law Group, and signed by Bobby Banson Esq.
The letter clarifies that businessman Ibrahim Mahama was never personally indebted to Universal Merchant Bank, formerly Merchant Bank.
Instead, his company, Engineers and Planners, had dealings with the bank and paid off all its debt prior to the bank’s challenges and sale.
The letter states that the emphatic representations in the said pages of the book by the author have no basis.
“We write as solicitors for Mr. Ibrahim Mahama and have instructions from our client to write to you (Manasseh Awuni Azure) regarding the above subject matter,” the letter said.
What did the book say?
The letter quotes pages 98 to 99 of the book which states that, “‘The Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), formerly state-owned Merchant Bank, generated uproar in 2013 when it was sold to a private equity firm, Fortiz. At the time, First Rand Bank of South Africa was said to be willing to pay GHS 176 million for 75% of Merchant Bank’s shares, while Fortiz offered only GHS 90 million for 90% of the shares in the state-owned bank. The controversy deepened when it emerged that a brother of President Mahama, Ibrahim Mahama, was one of the big debtors of the then Merchant Bank, which resulted in the bank’s struggles.’”
The letter continues: “In the said publication, you did not reference the source of the information you published. We therefore assume that you have presented the alleged indebtedness of our client to Merchant Bank as fact personally known to you.”
While pointing out legal actions initiated against UMB Bank in 2023, the bank stated in its Statement of defense to the court that “all debt had been paid and further averred that it had instructed the Credit Bureau Agencies to amend their records accordingly.”
Retraction, apology
On this basis, the brother of former President John Dramani Mahama makes it clear that he and his company were not indebted to the bank and wondered where the author had the information that he stated personally as a fact in his book.
Through his lawyers demand a retraction of all content regarding him and an apology within 7 days failure with which he will initiate a legal action against him.
“It is therefore not true that either Mr. Ibrahim Mahama or Engineers and Planners Company Ltd was indebted to Merchant Bank, which resulted in the struggles of the bank.
“Your publication has resulted in our client’s business associates, family, and friends inquiring from him about the veracity of your claims, as the publication has lowered his reputation as an honest businessman in the eyes of well-meaning Ghanaians.”
The letter concludes: “We therefore have instructions from our client to demand from you an immediate retraction of the publication under reference and an unqualified apology to our client.
“Needless to add that should you fail, refuse, or neglect to comply with the intimations contained in this letter within 7 days of your receipt of same, we shall proceed to seek legal redress against you without further notice to you.”
