---

There is no doubt in my mind that the 'leak' of the BHC documents by the 'Son of the Soil' and his accomplices to the Mid Ocean News and ZBM were intended to weaken the leadership of the Progressive Labour Party.

I have no doubt that the 'Son of the Soil' and his accomplices believed that by once again, putting this information into the public domain, the Premier and Leader of the Progressive Labour Party, Dr. Ewart Brown, would be discredited and that the Bermudian people would be calling for his head.

Certainly the 'Son of the Soil' and his accomplices never in their wildest dreams envisioned a photograph of the Auditor General, Larry Dennis, in handcuffs on the front page of The Royal Gazette - apparently, because of this 'leak'. I am certain that these people are ruing the day that they concocted this scheme, because the leak has now become a deluge and it appears that Bermuda may have forty days of rain as a result.

Although I am not audacious enough to think that I could speak for the entire membership of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party or the thousands of Bermudians who support the Party, I can say that in my conversations with my friends and acquaintances, the "leaking" of the BHC documents has done nothing to sway the support for Dr. Brown and/or the Progressive Labour Party. Listening to talk radio, one can gauge, although not scientifically, that PLP supporters are not impressed with Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley's call for a Royal Commission.

I believe that Michael Dunkeley's call for a "Royal Commission into the BHC scandal" is utterly ridiculous. The Bermuda public must remember that it was Michael Dunkley that dubbed the situation surrounding the Bermuda Housing Corporation, a "scandal". Amazingly, each time anyone in the media refers to the situation, they also refer to it as the "BHC scandal".

The public must also remember that it was Michael Dunkley who made much political hay in 2003 about the whole BHC situation.

Now he wants a Royal Commission, in spite of the fact that Scotland Yard has already investigated the matter and found no Members of Parliament, PLP or UBP were guilty of any wrongdoing.

Look in the mirror UBP

Kulandra Ratnesner, the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions at the time, stated that no Member of Parliament was found to have committed any illegal acts, although he felt that there was some unethical behaviour on the part of some government ministers. But as one person has recently stated to me "if being unethical was a hanging crime there should be a lot of UBP MPs swinging from trees." In his statement to the media on Tuesday, June 20, regarding the arrest of the Auditor General, the Opposition Leader said: "The detention of the Auditor General - the man who holds constitutional responsibility for investigating government's financial activities - must call all right-thinking Bermudians to ask whether things have gone too far and whether this could have been handled in a more appropriate manner". I am sure that most right-thinking Bermudians believe that the Bermuda Housing Corporation could have been handled in a more appropriate manner as well. Moreover, Mr. Dunkley and his gang have gone out of their way to implicate Dr. Brown and members of his cabinet. Surely the detention of a Premier would have caused more damage to our system of governance and our worldwide reputation for integrity, fair play and trustworthiness then the detention of a governor-appointed Auditor General.

Yet, this possibility has not caused Mr. Dunkley the slightest concern. Clearly he wants the UBP to once again control the government of Bermuda so badly that he cares little about what he does to Bermuda in the process.

Talk about a witch-hunt! I would say that Michael Dunkley is a witch in drag!

[[In-content Ad]]

---