Bermuda's plp gov't hides tries to hide their corruption

by Sal | November 16, 2009 at 07:45 am

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United Bermuda Party leader Kim Swan made the allegation during his party's official response to the Throne Speech, in a section dealing with honesty, integrity, moral leadership and good conduct.

Mr. Swan claimed: "We get million dollar contracts that go directly to friends untendered and massive cost overruns with no one held to account."

The claim was described by Minister without Portfolio Zane DeSilva as "untrue and grossly misleading".

The Southampton East Central MP and Island Construction boss said: "I think it should be removed from the document and struck from the record and I think we should make a motion to do that."

Government backbench MP Ashfield DeVent later put forward such a motion and Deputy Speaker Dame Jennifer Smith agreed that the sentence would be struck out.

The stench of Ewart brown's plp government's culture of corruption stinks so bad,no amount of cover up and devious attacks on the free press or opposition, will prevent citizen journalists and bloggers from spreading the truth about this useless gang of liars and thieves ,led by the carpetbagger ,fraudster and snake oil salesman ,Ewart brown.

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Last week the ROYAL GAZETTE newspaper revealed findings from an investigation into how costs for the new dock rocketed from an original budget of $35 million to $60 million.

The investigation was prompted by figures released by Government to explain why measures to protect animals at Dolphin Quest cost taxpayers an extra $3.7 million.

Mr. Gardella and Dennis Correia, boss of contractor Correia Construction, both told this newspaper the Ministry of Tourism and Transport's figures given in Parliamentary answers were inaccurate.

Among the findings of our investigation were that:

■ rental fees for a crane quadrupled from subcontractor NMI's original quote, from $8,000 a month to $10,000 a week;

■ two vibratory hammers to drive the pile foundations of the dock were billed as an extra under "dolphin mitigation";

■ the design of the thruster wall a barrier against sediment surge from ship propellers — changed four times according to Correia, tagging millions of dollars onto the project;

■ the terminal building doubled in price to $3.9 million;

■ Government paid Correia almost $9 million up front 23 percent of the entire original contract price — as an interest-free mobilisation loan;

■ the relationship between Correia and subcontractor NMI soured so badly that NMI was terminated early and three of its staff defected to join Correia following a $600,000 out-of-court settlement.

Both the United Bermuda Party and Bermuda Democratic Alliance have demanded answers from Government on how the new cruise ship pier costs have soared to $60 million.

Former Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness last week called on the Bermuda Police Service to investigate the rising costs and for the Premier to demand an inquiry.