Premier urged: 'Just tell the truth'

"Just tell the truth", said Opposition Leader Marc Bean today when asked what he wants from the Premier and his Ministers involved in the "JetGate Affair".

"There have been so many versions of events from the Premier and his ministers it's pretty obvious that we don't yet have the truth about what happened in Washington, DC in these meetings with Nathan Landow."

"Like many Bermudians, I read the recent news story with a mixture of shock and outrage at the events described by the story's sources. With such specifics, dates, times and conversations, the Premier's blanket denial is unacceptable. Why doesn't he just make a statement and tell the truth?"

"Perhaps after their weekend Retreat, the OBA rank and file have finally persuaded the Premier to level with the people of Bermuda.  They can only remain silent for so long before the people will demand answers."

"Whether the OBA received the $300k from Landow is their own affair and will be for the Party to deal with internally. What concerns me and I think the people of Bermuda is whether those funds were part of some quid pro quo related to gaming or a casino license. Only the Premier can answer that question."

"So much of the focus has been on the sensational areas of Johnson's story that some critical points have been missed. For example:

If the trip to DC was just an exchange of information trip, why was the Innovation Group in the meeting?

Who is Ronald Sutherland and what are the terms of his consultancy with the Ministry of Tourism Development & Transport?

Why did the Premier not disclose to Parliament that he had a meeting with Nathan Landow & Carl Bazarian, last year when he responded to parliamentary questions on his official travel?

How many meetings has the Premier had with Landow in Bermuda and overseas?

What is the role of Steven DeCosta in all of this; does he negotiate on behalf of the Government of Bermuda? He seems to be (as the source in the story said) "everywhere...".

"These are just some of the questions that the Premier must answer. Hopefully, he'll just tell the truth..."

“Investment in Bermuda right now is critical for our success and for our reputation to be clouded with this affair is unfair to everyday Bermudians who are looking for jobs and careers.  The PLP fully supports efforts to see development at Morgan’s Point, Par-la-Ville, and the Club Med Site (among others) and it is essential that the OBA government sort this matter out.”