Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has corrected a factual error in his latest book, “The President Ghana Never Got.”
He has retracted and apologized to Mr. Ibrahim Mahama for incorrectly labelling him as one of the big debtors of the erstwhile Merchant Bank.
In a Facebook post, Awuni clarified that the $28 million debt he referenced was owed by Mahama’s company, Engineers and Planners Company Limited, and not by Mahama personally.
He expressed regret for any negative impact his previous statement may have caused.
“It was a genuine oversight, which I am taking immediate steps to correct in the online version of the book and in subsequent reprints,” Awuni noted.
In his book, Awuni had previously stated that the Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), formerly a state-owned Merchant Bank, faced controversy in 2013 when it was sold to a private equity firm. One of the issues raised was the presence of a large debt owed by a brother of former President John Mahama.
Mahama, the CEO of Engineers and Planners, has been a prominent figure in Ghana’s business sector. While he has made significant contributions to the mining and construction industries, he has also faced public scrutiny and controversies related to his commercial activities.
RETRACTION AND APOLOGY
Businessman Mr. Ibrahim Mahama has, through his lawyers, brought to my attention a fact that needs correction, and I hereby do so unreservedly.
i. In my latest book, “The President Ghana Never Got”, I discussed the banking crisis under the Akufo-Addo administration and how some banks were saved from possible collapse.
ii. In providing a background to the Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) and the circumstances under which its new owners acquired it in 2013, I mentioned the controversy that arose when it emerged that one of the big debtors of the erstwhile Merchant Bank was Mr. Mahama.
iii. The fact is that the $28 million debt I referenced was owed by his company, Engineers and Planners Company Limited, the legal entity, and not Mr. Mahama personally.
iv. Consequently, I retract the said reference to Ibrahim Mahama as the debtor and apologise for any adverse effect that may have been occasioned by said publication.
v. It was a genuine oversight, which I am taking immediate steps to correct in the online version of the book and in subsequent reprints.
Manasseh Azure Awuni
