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Ibrahim Mahama, the Ghanaian billionaire and founder of Engineers & Planners Company Limited, is facing fresh scrutiny after Ghana's parliamentary minority announced plans Thursday to petition the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice over his company's bid to take over the Damang gold mine and the president's reported use of his private aircraft.
Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, ranking member on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee and member of Parliament for Mampong, addressed journalists in Parliament on March 26, saying the caucus had identified what it described as potential constitutional breaches and a lack of transparency in how the mine's next operator is being chosen.
"The Minority will not accept the government characterisation of this process as competitive. What we see is a winner being arranged and not selected," Ampratwum-Sarpong said.
The minority's concerns center on the composition of the tender committee, the criteria used to evaluate bids and what it described as the suspicious sequence of events surrounding the shortlisting process. The caucus said Parliament and the public have been kept in the dark at every stage, with no clarity on how the three shortlisted bidders were chosen or what benchmarks they were measured against.
Jet use raises constitutional questions
The minority tied the Damang dispute to a separate but related concern: President John Dramani Mahama's reported use of his brother's private jet on official travel. The caucus argued the arrangement could constitute a benefit capable of creating an actual or perceived conflict of interest under Article 284 of Ghana's 1992 Constitution, which bars public officers from placing personal interests in conflict with official duties.
The statement alleged the president has used the aircraft on multiple occasions, with costs absorbed by the owner. The minority described the two issues as "the same story," arguing that together they represent the most serious conflict-of-interest question facing the current administration. It is demanding full disclosure of all official travel arrangements involving the aircraft since January 2025, including the cost implications to the state.
Minority demands halt to pre-award activity
The caucus is calling for the immediate publication of all Damang bidding documents, including evaluation criteria, the full list of bidders and beneficial ownership disclosures. It is also demanding the recusal of any officials with prior ties to bidding entities and a halt to all pre-award activity until a transparent process is completed.
Engineers & Planners is among three shortlisted bidders for the mine alongside BCM International and the Vortex Resources consortium. In February 2026, the company secured a $205 million syndicated loan arranged by Stanbic Bank Ghana and Standard Bank of South Africa to support its position.
A $600 million prize with an April deadline
The stakes are considerable. Gold Fields, which has operated Damang for nearly 30 years, is scheduled to formally hand the mine to the Government of Ghana on April 18. A feasibility study completed by the South African miner found the asset could produce up to 150,000 ounces of gold annually for at least nine more years but would require up to $600 million in fresh capital to reach that potential. With no operator formally confirmed and Parliament raising constitutional alarms, the clock is running.
