A former Member of Parliament for Berekum, in the Brong Ahafo Region, says he is greatly amused by a directive from the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, asking him to cough up an amount of GH 9,000, and argues that he is not ready to dole out even a cedi.
Speaking on PEACEFM�s �Kokrokoo�, in reaction to media reports that he illegally occupied a government bungalow without paying any rent, the former MP, who acknowledged having received an official directive, brushed aside the issue of surcharge and explained that he occupied the building in his official capacity as a Minister and later as an MP.
Mr. Effah Darteh added that he vacated his official residence on the very day parliament was dissolved on the 6th day of January, 2009, and emphatically stated that he will not pay any amount to government, as he sees no reason for the issuance of the directive. �I don�t owe them, I won�t pay any 9,000 (GH cedis)�if the Attorney General�s attention is brought to the issue about this directive, she�ll admit it�s a mistake,� he said.
Hon. Effah Darteh, who was disqualified in his bid to stand as one of the 17 NPP presidential aspirants in 2007, scoffed at the idea that he might be forcefully compelled to shell out the GH 9,000. ��Government will not send soldiers to come for 90million cedis, the furthest they can go is to send me to court.
If the Attorney General wrongly advises that I am liable, they will proceed to court�the judge will then ask whether I was a government official or a private man and if they admit that I was a siting Member of Parliament, the next question will be whether a government official is entitled to a state house and they answer in the affirmative, the judge will then rule it as a foolish case, true not�, he sneered.
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