The obituary
AFTER SEVERAL days of confusion, disagreement and negotiations, the coast is now clear for the burial of the alleged notorious robber George Korsi Buame Kley, whose death created mixed reactions among residents of Ho, the Volta regional capital.
The burial preparations initially hit a snag due to disagreements among family members over the issue of burying Buame simultaneously with his elder brother, Francis Koku Kley, who died a fortnight after Buame’s bizarre death. The Funeral of the robber and his brother is now set to take place from Friday December 30, 2011 to January 1, 2012.
The burial of the duo will take place at Light House, which used to be the residence of their late father.
The bodies will be taken from the Ho Municipal Mortuary today to the Light House, followed by burial and funeral rites tomorrow Saturday 31st and a thanksgiving service at the same venue on Sunday 1st January, according to a funeral announcement by the family.
Francis Koku Kley, who was a transport owner described by relatives as decent, and a sharp contrast to his younger brother Buame, died of kidney complications at the Volta Regional Hospital fondly called ‘Trafalgar’.
Francis, according to a source close to the Kley family, had been bedridden for several weeks before his death.
The source disclosed that Buame’s burial had initially created a lot of disagreement between relatives from the paternal and maternal sides of their big family.
He said their father married three women and the two deceased persons were half-brothers.
During deliberations on the burial of the two brothers, it was alleged that two factions were created with one supporting the burial of the two brothers simultaneously, while the other faction disagreed and pressed for separate burial dates.
Buame’s supporters, made up of his paternal relatives, his direct siblings and mother’s relatives, were believed to be the direct beneficiaries of his wealth.
The opposing faction, who argued that the burial should be done separately, was made up of the maternal relatives of Francis Kley, his direct siblings and his wife as well as his wife’s relatives.
They argued that it was shameful and outrageous for them to have anything to do with the burial of George Kley, who they said was a notorious robber and died a disgraceful death.
They added that they would prefer to have the two brothers buried separately since Francis was a decent man who deserved a befitting burial.
Buame’s supporters however argued on the grounds of cost and the fact that no matter the personality of Buame, he also deserved a befitting burial and it was also an appropriate time to reconcile the souls and spirits of the two brothers who were described as enemies when they were alive.
The source noted that Francis never endorsed the ways of his brother and openly washed his hands off him. Francis was also alleged to have usually tipped the police off on some of the nefarious operations of Buame.
As a result, anytime Buame was arrested, Francis was usually accused of being a snitch and a traitor by relatives.
He stressed that if Francis was alive, he would not have had anything to do with his brother’s funeral, let alone contribute to the GH¢1,000 raised to go for Buame’s corpse at the Police Hospital in Accra.
DAILY GUIDE investigations revealed that some of the family members initially detached themselves from the funeral arrangements and threatened to boycott it, if Buame was laid alongside Francis. However, after several days of negotiations and pleas, the two factions came to a consensus to bury the two brothers simultaneously.
As a result, a poster of the two brothers standing side by side had been designed and pasted at the family houses and properties of the Buame family within the Ho Municipality.
It would be recalled that on Friday the 18th of November 2011, George Korsi Buame Kley, 54, who hailed from Bankoe, a suburb of Ho, was gunned down.
George and an alleged colleague armed robber, Doku aka Mellow, 41, were killed at a spot near the Nyaho Clinic at the Airport Residential area in Accra, when they engaged a police patrol team in a gun battle.
Back in Ho, the death of Buame, as he was fondly called, created mixed feelings among residents and relatives, as some showed excitement while others were filled with sorrow and shock.
Buame aka ‘Jail Bird’, a nickname he earned for the countless jail terms he had served, was also believed to be a multi millionaire and a philanthropist.
He owned restaurants, stores, guest houses, vehicles, mansions and many others.
One of his properties, which is currently under construction in Ho, is a multipurpose three story structure.
It is expected that some of Buame’s friends and business associates will be gracing the occasion while others claim it will be a weekend of luxurious vehicles in Ho.
George Korsi Buame Kley left behind a widow and four children.
From Fred Duodu, Ho