Manasseh refuted recent media reports claiming that Ibrahim Mahama, CEO of Engineers and Planners, has issued him a seven-day ultimatum to remove certain pages from his latest book.
The book, The President Ghana Never Got, has sparked controversy over its portrayal of the 2013 sale of Merchant Bank, now Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), and Ibrahim Mahama's alleged involvement.
In his book, Azure detailed that the sale of Merchant Bank to the private equity firm Fortiz was marred by controversy. He pointed out that FirstRand Bank of South Africa had offered GHC176 million for 75% of the bank's shares, whereas Fortiz acquired 90% for a mere GHC90 million.
Azure also highlighted that the bank's financial difficulties were partly due to substantial debts owed by Engineers and Planners, a company owned by Ibrahim Mahama, who is also the brother of former president John Dramani Mahama.
In response to these claims, some media outlets reported that Ibrahim Mahama's lawyers had demanded a retraction and an apology from the journalist, arguing that the assertions in the book were inaccurate.
However, in a recent social media post, Manasseh clarified that he has not been contacted regarding news that Ibrahim Mahama has given me a seven-day ultimatum to remove pages 89 and 90 from his book.
"I have received calls about the news that Ibrahim Mahama has given me seven days to delete pages 89 and 90 of my book because the information is inaccurate. That is not accurate. Mr. Ibrahim Mahama's lawyers have written to me concerning a paragraph of the book in the chapter on the economy. That paragraph says Ibrahim Mahama was indebted to Merchant Bank when it was sold in 2013," he stated.
He further stated that he has referred the issue to his lawyers and will be addressed in due course.
"His lawyers argue that it was actually a company owned by Ibrahim Mahama, Engineers and Planners, that owed the bank, not Ibrahim Mahama personally. I have passed their concerns to my lawyers, and the matter will be addressed in due course," he stated in a social media post.
Earlier, Ibrahim Mahama's legal team issued a statement expressing deep displeasure with the portrayal of their client in the book by Manasseh Azure Awuni. The team demanded an immediate retraction and unqualified apology, citing damage to Mahama's reputation.