FRIDAY, APRIL 27: Bermuda’s new Governor is determined to take up his post next month as scheduled.
Career diplomat George Fergusson was due to take over from Sir Richard Gozney on May 22 — but he was brutally mugged in a daylight attack in a London cemetery last Friday and has lost his sight in his left eye.
Sir Richard – who was in London with Premier Paula Cox for a major Business Bermuda event earlier this week – said: “I saw him on Monday afternoon and he was in good spirits and as keen as ever to come out here.
On schedule
“He is still seeing doctors about any treatment he might need and until he has been through that process he can’t be sure, but his plan is to arrive here as scheduled.
“He is stoic about it all and he’s got a strong character.”
Sir Richard added that Premier Paula Cox – who is understood to already have met Mr Fergusson – has added her best wishes to a flood of messages of support delivered to Government House.
Sir Richard said: “We have had messages from lots of people and I have passed them all on to Mr Fergusson. People have been very sympathetic.”
Sir Richard was speaking after he arrived back from London and the Business Bermuda annual financial services conference in the city.
The event, held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hyde Park, involved a series of discussions on Bermuda’s strengths as an offshore jurisdiction.
London conference
More than 250 top businessmen attended the event, which also highlighted the series of tax information exchange agreements signed by Bermuda and the island’s determination to meet new European Union standards on business solvency.
Along with Sir Richard and Ms Cox, Bermuda Monetary Authority CEO Jeremy Cox, Bermuda Stock Exchange CEO Greg Wojciechowski and Business Bermuda CEO Cheryl Packwood were also in attendance.
The conference also included sessions on Islamic finance – an area where Bermuda is hoping to pick up new business – and other specialist areas of Bermuda expertise.