PLP demand Landow answers

The PLP want to know what, if any, relationship the premier has with Nathan Landow, an American businessman with political connections in the U.S.

Through a statement released yesterday, the PLP said if Premier Craig Cannonier has nothing to hide he should “come clean with the full and complete nature of his relationship and the relationship of his private business partner, with Mr Nathan Landow”.

“The Premier’s continued refusal to reveal the nature of his relationship to this potential casino developer is eroding investor confidence in Bermuda,” the statement went on.

“This issue is important, because for investors to have confidence in Bermuda they must have confidence that the Government is ethical and forthright in their dealings.

“The government must be an honest broker if not Bermudians will lose as investors, not just in hotels — but in other industries, [which] will stay away.”

Bermuda’s economic situation, according to the PLP, “is too delicate for our future to be put at risk by members of the government seeking to profit from any new Integrated Resort Development.”

If the RFP process for casino developments is tainted, the PLP says “any potential development can be derailed by lengthy legal challenges”.

The statement continued, “The PLP will continue to press for answers to legitimate questions to ensure that the people’s business is being conducted in an ethical manner that will benefit all Bermudians and will not put our future at risk. “The Premier, Attorney General, and Minister of Tourism must come clean to ensure that Bermuda’s reputation remains intact.”

During last Friday’s House of Assembly session, Shadow Finance Minister David Burt had asked if the premier had met with any prospective casino developers during his trip to Washington, D.C., earlier this month.

The Premier, according to Mr Burt, has yet to answer that question. Mr. Landow is known as a real estate developer and fundraiser for the Democratic Party in the U.S. He is a former chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party.

In 2012, Maryland rejected a casino led by Mr Landow bid for Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort. Maryland authorities said they never saw proof that Mr. Landow could come up with the necessary financing and that it was not clear who the principals were in his development group, according to The Daily Record.

The premier’s office did not respond to a request for comment before deadline on Tuesday.

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