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Dear Sir,

I have always thought that Stuart Hayward was out of touch with reality and lived in a dream world and he certainly proved that in his column on Wednesday, June 27.

I note that Mr. Hayward has taken his lead from Michael Dunkley and The Royal Gazette and called the investigation into the Bermuda Housing Corporation a "scandal".

As I see it the investigation has only become a scandal because people like Mr. Hayward, Michael Dunkley and others choose to believe that members of the PLP Government acted inappropriately, although we have no proof of this. Should I, or anyone else so desire, spread rumours about Mr. Hayward, it would thereby create a scandal.

To state that the PLP controls the office of the DPP is as ridiculous as stating that the PLP controls the media in Bermuda. To state that the PLP controls the office of the DPP is as ridiculous as stating that Lance Hayward did not suffer because of racism in Bermuda. Kulandra Ratneser, the Acting DPP who investigated the BHC matter has gone on record on more than one occasion to say that "If there was evidence I would have prosecuted; I'm a fearless prosecutor". Those words don't sound like the words of a man who is controlled by the PLP.

The more Stuart Hayward writes and speaks of Dr. Brown, the more I am convinced that he laments the fact that he is not walking in Dr. Brown's shoes. We all know that Stuart Hayward was quite miffed when Dr. Brown removed him from the Sustainable Development Round Table because of his inability to be a team player. We all know that Stuart considers himself Bermuda's guru on sustainable development and finds it difficult to accept that there are others in the community that are just as concerned and just as educated on the subject as he is.

Premier envy?

In his column Stuart insists that the BHC investigation was "truncated". For him to make this statement means that he is privy to more information than the general public. For him to insist that Scotland Yard and the Bermuda Police Service did not complete the investigation and do their due diligence means that Bermudians can no longer trust the Bermuda Police Service to police the island, and that we certainly cannot expect that the respected Scotland Yard police officers will be of any value to Bermuda in the future should the need arise to have them return to the island. Mr. Hayward goes on to question why the General Manager of BHC at the time was not charged "in line with evidence that came to light". Does Mr. Hayward have some evidence that the rest of us do not have or that the Acting DPP, Kulandra Ratneser did not have? Who is his source of his information? Why did he not question why the Financial Controller was not charged? After all, he was the one that signed the cheques at BHC, not the General Manager. Is it because Mr. Hayward believes that only blacks commit crime? I have never heard the Premier make a pronouncement that "I don't have those cedar beams". Maybe Mr. Hayward can tell us when the Premier made that statement and to whom?

I guess I cannot expect Mr. Hayward to do anything but go along with the rest of anti-Dr. Brownites and take the statement that the Premier made on July 23, 2004 out of context. Mr. Hayward should know like the rest of us who think critically and understand how racist the media is in this country, that questions asked of Dr. Brown would never be asked of leaders who don't look like him.

Each time Stuart Hayward writes of Dr. Brown his bias comes through loud and strong and wrong. He should know that there are many of us who admire Dr. Brown. He has worked hard both in the public sector and the private sector. He has made a name for himself, both locally and internationally because of his hard work and determination. Because of his hard work he is now self-sufficient and does not have to answer "plantation questions". If Stuart Hayward had worked as hard as Dr. Brown has and stood up for the injustices heaped upon black people in this country as Dr. Brown has, his declarations in the Bermuda Sun would be more respected. As it is, most of us know that Stuart Hayward continues to live in a world of his own and refuses to identify with those of us who look like him.

LaVerne Furbert

Hamilton Parish[[In-content Ad]]

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