The Deputy Minister designate for Water Resources Works and Housing, Kobby Acheampong has apologized to former president Kufuor for lying about lavish furnishings at his residence. Somewhere last year, Mr. Acheampong claimed on Joy FM’s Current Affairs Programme, Newsfile, that Mr. Kufuor’s house was furnished at the cost of about $4 million. According to him, some of the luxury items fitted in the then president’s house included large imported Alsatian dogs, Jacuzzis, and expensive remote control doors. He vowed an authentic source had given him a document that indicated the lavish furnishing. “I have a source that gave those items to me, listed those items….if he thinks it is otherwise let newsmen to go there, the building is still standing, there facilities are still there… let people go into the house,” Mr. Acheampong demanded. However, when journalists visited Mr. Kufuor’s residence such opulent furnishing was non-existent as claimed by Mr. Acheampong. At Mr. Acheampong’s vetting on Wednesday, April 01, 2009, the controversial issue of the furnishing of Mr. Kufuor’s residence took centre stage. Whiles admitting that his source had misled him, the nominee for Deputy Water Resources Minister was not willing to apologise for failing to do due diligence by checking the authenticity of the information he had. A member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Mr. E.T. Mensah reminded him apologizing for putting out wrong information and tarnishing the former president’s image unjustifiably would do everybody some good. Mr. Acheampong listened to the advice and duly apologized. “Mr. Chairman, I am not in the business of not apologizing for my wrongs, in this case I apologise for putting out that information,” he said. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com