Finally, Befakor has decided to do what is right. It’s too little too late but the decision by the former speaker to return items he took away from his official residence should, hopefully, help him regain a modicum of the respect he has lost. But what will help him most is a public display on contrition.
In a letter to the Parliamentary Service Board, the former speaker continues to shamelessly speak (through his lawyers) about what he deems as his “right” to literally loot state property. Such posturing will win him few sympathisers – even from his own party.
He also suggests that the Parliament should arrange for its officials to go and collect the items. That doesn’t make sense to me. Why can’t he just pack the items onto a truck and return them to where he took them from? Let’s see how the PSB responds in the days ahead. I doubt if we’ve seen the end of this matter… for now, just ‘enjoy’ his letter which is reproduced below…
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REQUEST FOR COMMENTS ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF FURNISHING ITEMS IN THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF THE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT
We act as solicitors for and on behalf of Rt. Hon. Ebenezer B. Sakyi Hughes, the former Speaker of the Parliament who has instructed us to further respond to yours dated 5th May 2009, regarding the above subject matter.
Our client instructs us that during his tenure as the Speaker of Parliament, he was given a briefing relating to the provision of soft furnishing and other amenities and the disposal of same to the leadership and senior officers of parliament. It is on record that some retiring and exiting leaders and officers of Parliament have in the past benefited from this practise.
Informed by the above, our client on 26th February 2009, in leaving his official residence took away some furnishing and other amenities in the official residence of the speaker.
Unfortunately, this claim of right has generated some furore. Our client attempted to clear the misinformation and to set the records straight. For some strange reasons, it appears that the misinformation has sunk rather very deep to the extent that the hard-earned reputation of our client is being tarnished. It is regrettable that well placed and responsible men in authority are even imputing criminality to him.
Our client will not want to feed the frenzy of those who believe that without scandalising others their own prominence will be diminished.
Accordingly, for the sake of good governance, the integrity of the high office he previously occupied and in good conscience, our client states categorically that he is no longer interested in the items he took from the Speaker’s official residence, bona fide.
We respectfully invite you to arrange for the collection of the items from his private residence in Accra, at your earliest convenience, on agreed time schedule.
Counting on your highest sense of professionalism in the resolution of this unfortunate matter.
Yours faithfully,
For: Zoe, Akyea and Co.
Signed: Atta Akyea
