Letter from BHC Whistleblower...

[Casual Observer]

Christian over at politics.bm has something over there from the alledged leaker of the BHC documents. Very, very interesting stuff.

http://www.politics.bm/

[Adjustah]

Scary stuff. The email is certainly making the rounds this morning. Welcome to the age of the internet.

[Captain Canuck]

Not only is there enough to get this gov't thrown out of office, but there's enough (by the sounds of it) to have half of these guys/gals thrown in jail!  If they get voted back in after this there is NO hope what-so-ever! 

Unbelievable stuff.

CC

[SmokingGun]

Here's the email that's doing the rounds.

 ----- Original Message -----

Dear Sir or Madam:

The following document is the complete document given to ZBM and The Royal
Gazette, two of Bermuda's local news agencies in response to Dr.
Ewart Brown, Bermuda's Premier's news conference, held on the evening of
June 1, 2007. The contents of the documents in-part was exhibited during
ZBM's evening news on June 6, 2007. For verification of this assertion,
you can call Bermuda Broadcasting Company news room at
292-5517 or 295-2828.

Following the running of Mid Ocean news publication dated June 1, 2002 on
the Bermuda Housing Corporation's scandal and the reporting of the
attached letter - in-part - on ZBM evening news on June 6, 2007, the
Attorney General is purported to have went to court on June 7, 2007, on
behalf of the Police and secured a gag order preventing all the local news
agencies from reporting any further on the Bermuda Police Service leaked
dossier pertaining to the Bermuda Housing Corporation scandal. It is also,
purported that the gag order was issued under the guise that the reporting
of the Police leaked dossier regarding the BHC is unfair to persons whom
the investigation had exonerated; like the Premier.  This is not true; the
Police dossier did not exonerate the Premier, as you will see on review of
the attached document.

The Premier's hostile outburst towards the Governor was nothing but a
smoke screen, design to divert the public attention of his wrongdoing in
the BHC scandal. When this diversion did not work, he then sought an order
of the court to prevent the local news agencies from reporting on his
involvement in the BHC's scandal; this was evident in his press conference
wherein, he only spoke of himself.

However, thanks to the advent of the "internet"; the story of his
wrongdoing will be told and the people will then decide knowing the real
truth, as oppose to the Premier's truth.

In his depiction of the black people of Bermuda the Premier has been known
to have quoted that "a full belly man makes a poor revolutionary". It is
evident that the Premier is banking on the fact that because we in Bermuda
have such an affluent life style that we will be stupid enough not to
revolt against his unethical, and immoral behavior. Let's show the Premier
that he is dead wrong.


Son of the Soil

 ________________________________

To Whom It May Concern


I am the individual that has been entrusted to disseminate the dossier
regarding the "Cover-up" of the Bermuda Housing Corporation Investigation
by the Governor of Bermuda, to the Auditor General and to both the
electronic and print media.

Last Friday evening the Premier, Dr. Ewart Brown held a press conference
following the publication of his and other Government Officials'
purported, "wrongdoing" by the Mid-Ocean News.

In his address Dr. Brown stated that the Police investigation "exonerated
him", this is not true; in fact the truth is the contrary.
The Police dossier clearly indicates the following:

1)    That in 2001 Dr. Brown was having financial challenges;
2)    That Dr. Brown is listed in Island Construction Service's loan
schedule as a 'Borrower';
3)    That Dr. Brown was a stakeholder in a company setup by Mr. Zane
DeSilva to secure the Government contract to export asbestos to Cuba;
4)    That Dr. Brown and Nelson Bascombe (the then Minister
responsible for exporting the asbestos material) never disclosed his
stake-holding in Mr. DeSilva's asbestos company to Parliament, or his
Cabinet colleagues;
5)    That the cedar beams missing from the St George's Post Office
job site have been installed in Dr. Brown's A.P. Owen Rd. Residence;
6)    That Dr. Brown, Nelson Bascombe, Renée Webb along with a banker,
pressured two of Mr. DeSilva's partners to allow he and Mr. Arthur Pitcher
to run the Southside Project;
7)    That $422,000.00 dollars which was owed to Mr. DeSilva
construction company from Dr. Brown's A.P. Owen Rd. construction costs,
was "buried" in the Southside project;
    That Dr. Brown's A.P. Owen Rd. residence main gate was installed
at a cost of $17,000.00 which was paid for by the Ministry of Transport;
9)    That Dr. Brown submitted an application to the Department of
Planning to subdivide his Flatt's property, which was rejected because it
left the residents of the property nowhere to park;
10)    That the then Minister of Planning Mr. Arthur Hodgson later
overturned the Planning Board's ruling and approved the subdivision of Dr.
Brown's Flatt's property;
11)    That Dr. Brown sold the property that facilitated the parking
for his Flatt's property guest and residence to the Bermuda Government
Parks Department for $200,000.00 to be used as a public parking lot
(Today, signs are still posted stating the parking lot is private);
12)    That Dr. Brown, via his real estate agent pressured the Bermuda
Housing Corporation's then Manager Mr. Raymond Dill to purchase his
Flatt's property for the sum of $500,000.00; Mr. Dill refused because it
did not fall within the ambit of the Bermuda Housing Corporation's policy;
13)    That Dr. Brown invited Mr. Dill to lunch at Newstead and tried
to pressure him into signing a Sales Agreement he had carried to the
meeting to purchase his Flatt's property, which Mr. Dill refused to sign;
14)    That some time later Nelson Bascombe then the Minister in
charge of Bermuda Housing Corporation, the BHC architect, and Dr.
Brown met with Mr. Dill in the Senate to try and persuade him to buy the
Flatt's property, Mr. Dill once again refused;
15)    That Nelson Bascombe called Mr. Dill and instructed him to put
Dr. Brown's Flatt's property into the BHC's rental housing stock;
16)    Following the Minister's instructions and without entering into
an agreement with Dr. Brown, Mr. Dill had the Bermuda Housing Corporation
renovate Dr. Brown's Flatt's property for the sum of $157,000.00;
17)    That near the completion of the Flatt's property's renovation,
Dr. Brown's real estate agent advised Mr. Dill that the property's
mortgage was being called. This assertion made by Dr. Brown's agent, was
later found to be untrue; (claim made by Mr. Dill and denied by
agent)
18)    That Mr. Dill purchased Dr. Brown's Flatt's property for the
sum of $450,000.00 in order to recover the cost of renovation;
19)    That Dr. Brown and Nelson Bascombe were consultants to one of
Mr. DeSilva's Company and that Dr. Brown was being paid $1,500.00 per month;
20)    That Dr. Brown has not disclosed this income pursuant to the
rules of Parliament;
21)    During the period between 1999 and 2001, because of his
purported political influence, Dr. Brown is alleged to have received a
direct financial benefit from the Government purse over and above his
salary and ministerial perks of  $1,246,000.00.This figure is
notwithstanding the unlawful taking of the missing St. George Post Office
cedar beams and the labour of purportedly having them installed at his
A.P. Owen residence;
22)    That the Acting Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Kulandra
Ratnesser proposed that civil action be taking out against Dr. Brown for
the recovery of the monies he has allegedly embezzled from the tax payers
of this Country.

So PLP Members do not be easily deceived, the Police investigation did not
"exonerate" Dr. Brown from wrongdoing, the fact of the matter is that the
Acting Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Kulandra Ratnesser allegedly
refused to review the relevant Police investigation dossier on Dr. Brown's
and some of his Cabinet colleagues' purported criminal activity, along
with other individuals connected to the Bermuda Housing Corporation. On
review of the Police dossier, it is apparent that the investigation was
incomplete and abruptly halted; in our system of Government only one
person can halt an investigation that is the Governor.

As a result of this scandal, the dismissal of contractors and various
employees from the Bermuda Housing Corporation, it has been revealed that
in late 2000, in an effort to secure the passage of the change of the
60/40 ownership rule legislation through Parliament, the Bank of Bermuda
Limited's charity, The Centennial Trust offered to contribute to Bermuda
Housing Corporation $40,000,000.00 to build low cost housing but this was
rejected by the Government. Given our current housing situation, Mr. Brown
may want to explain why?

When the MRI machine was first proposed to the King Edward Memorial VII
Hospital in 2000, I, like its then Chairperson Ms. Ianthia Wade, Mr.
Raymond Dill, and other board members and hospital executives, viewed
documents showing that the overseas company being proposed by Dr. Brown to
oversee the operation of the MRI machine, was in fact a company that he
held an undeclared interest in. This occurrence must be seen in the light
of the recent resignation of the King Edward Memorial VII Hospital
Chairman and three other board members this year. They all resigned
following a cabinet office meeting wherein the
(then) hospital chairman was summon to attend and instructed (which he
refused to do) to sign off on the contract just given to Kurron prior to
it being presented to the board for approval or put out for tendering.

In the Royal Gazette last Monday, Mr. El James stated that he never
personally received money from the Bermuda Housing Corporation and that is
true. However, the Police investigation surrounding Mr. James had to do
with the use of the Bermuda Housing Corporation funds to pay for work done
at one of the Island golf courses, which is in breach of the Bermuda
Housing Act.

To dispel Dr. Brown's assertion that there is a political conspiracy
involving the Governor and the Government's Opposition, the United Bermuda
Party that simply is not true. I am a former supporter of the PLP looking
again to once again becoming a supporter and experiencing a Bermuda that
the late Mr. Freddie Wade had envisioned for us all. I have taking this
action because I strongly believe that it was wrong to just punish Mr.
Terrence Smith when there is clear evident within the Police Bermuda
Housing Corporation's dossier that other are guilty of wrongdoing.

In closing, I would like to say that at the appropriate time I will attend
the Hamilton Police Station with my lawyer and give myself up for my role
in this matter. I am also aware that in having accepted this task, I may
have committed an offence and I am prepared to accept whatever punishment
the courts may deed appropriate. I am a sincere Bermudian who believes in
'right and wrong' and I ask that my actions are seen in the light of the
result. I was entrusted with information and once I read it, I had to
choose to either live with this knowledge and protect a unethical
wrongdoers by being silent, or expose the knowledge and let my fellow
Bermudians make up their own minds about Dr. Brown's and his cohorts'
integrity...I sure did.

I also expect that the investigation into the purported wrongdoing in the
Bermuda Housing Corporation will be reopened, completed, and that the
appropriate punishment be meted-out in the event that Dr. Brown and the
other individuals reported in the documents have in fact committed
criminal or civil wrongdoing.

Signed By:  Son of the Soil

[Casual Observer]

SG - Thanks for posting the content of the letter in it's entirety.

Also, for those who may not have received the email about the petition for a Royal Commission, you can sign here:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/405277752

[Casual Observer]

Not only is there enough to get this gov't thrown out of office, but there's enough (by the sounds of it) to have half of these guys/gals thrown in jail!  If they get voted back in after this there is NO hope what-so-ever! 

Unbelievable stuff.

CC

CC - Now let's be fair. I'm not sure what you mean by 'throwing the government out of office', but I think we need to be clear to make a destinction between the government and those within Government who are alleged to have acted unethically. I do not think that it is a reflection of the entire Government as a whole, but perhaps some of those sitting members who may have acted inapropriately. No sense in throwing out the baby with the bath water.

[SmokingGun]

CO - He did say "half".

But I would agree with you. Unless of course we get wind of another email blasting the other half.

[Casual Observer]

Incidentally, I hope this story continues to hound officials in the local press until we can get the answers we deserve. So far the Ministers in question have done a piss poor job of refuting the allegations made. If I had nothing to hide I would be scrambling to prove my innocence.

Hmmm... Let's start with a relatively simple one. Did Dr. Brown repay the money that was owed to the BHC? People have a right to know and are calling for truth in spite of race, party affiliation, etc. If he cannot provide the answers then he has to go. Simple.

Rant over.

[Mysty]

KILLER STUFF!!!!!!! 

[Captain Canuck]

Not only is there enough to get this gov't thrown out of office, but there's enough (by the sounds of it) to have half of these guys/gals thrown in jail!  If they get voted back in after this there is NO hope what-so-ever! 

Unbelievable stuff.

CC

CC - Now let's be fair. I'm not sure what you mean by 'throwing the government out of office', but I think we need to be clear to make a destinction between the government and those within Government who are alleged to have acted unethically. I do not think that it is a reflection of the entire Government as a whole, but perhaps some of those sitting members who may have acted inapropriately. No sense in throwing out the baby with the bath water.

I think being fair is simple.  While i'm sure that there are some genuinely honest politicians within the PLP, the irreparable damage done here speaks for itself.  How can you trust a party that at it's core is corrupt to the utmost degree? The confidence is shot.  The PLP should be dissolved.  The true from that party should distance themselves from the untrue and form a new party that is built on integrity and be able to demonstrate that they are as open book as this present party claims to be.  No gag orders, no smoke screens, no plantation question deflections, no missing money, no etc etc etc.  It's time for this garbage to end....before it gets worse!!!!

CC

[Casual Observer]

CC - Personally, I don't think the damage is irreperable. I think that there are some individuals within the party who need to be held accountable, but let's be honest... if we dissolved a party anytime there was an internal scandal the Labour, Democratic, Republican and virtually any other party you can think of wouldn't exist. Shit happens. People abuse their positions of authority every now and then. The issue is effectively dealing with the corruption and those individuals without unnecessarily uprooting the entire system. There are some very virtuous members of the PLP party - both now and in the past. Whilst I think that it is most unfortunate that the party has been tarnished in this fashion, this sort of corruption is not limited to the PLP government - it's not the first time (ask anybody about the UBP) and won't be the last. Hopefully this matter is dealt with thoroughly now that the details are coming to light and it serves as a deterrent in future.

[Mysty]

From the top line: "mysticman, BlueEyedDevil and 17 Guests are viewing this topic."  Incredible: 17 guests!  I think this is another first for BS... in that I believe this is the only board where you can read "THE Letter"!!  Are we gonna get busted or what...!!! 

[Mysty]

And not a peep from the PM fanatics.  Wonder how they are going to wriggle out of this one??!   

[Reality]

In a sense I think CO is right - providing that the wrongdoers are dealt with instead of protected, the PLP could survive the outcome.

I'm still getting my head round the explosive claims of the email... I don't know if it is genuine or not (anyone care to speculate?) but if it is, there are many accusations that should be investigated further and I believe with some level of transparency. It sure seems like a heck of an effort if it weren't genuine... and has me guessing at who wrote it of course.

In his depiction of the black people of Bermuda the Premier has been known
to have quoted that "a full belly man makes a poor revolutionary". It is
evident that the Premier is banking on the fact that because we in Bermuda
have such an affluent life style that we will be stupid enough not to
revolt against his unethical, and immoral behavior.

This bit interested me. Is it the case that too many people are scared to lose their seat on the gravy train?

[Reality]

Senator Bob Richards has launched a spirited attempt to draw the government on the BHC situation and on the media gag.

"I'd like to talk about the Premier's address to the nation about ten days ago," said Sen. Richards.

"It was extraordinary in its content, or lack of content, while it continued the expected vitriolic attack on the media."

He said the way Dr. Brown had conducted the broadcast had left him with the impression that "in my mind the story was true".

"If it happened to me I would be standing there saying 'that story is a pack of lies'," he said.

I hope he keeps going on this topic... surely even Bermuda can't let this be swept under the carpet. If the Premier is innocent of the accusations, he should be coming out and explicitly denying them one by one, rather than hiding behind the Attorney General and gagging the media.