The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said in the absence of receipts from the Progressive Liberal Party regarding repayment to the Public Treasury for a controversial Bermuda trip last year, he cannot be sure that the figure provided by the government’s press secretary last week is true.

“So first, let me say that in the absence of us seeing the actual list of expenses, which would include among other things, airfare, ground transportation, food, per diem, and any other incidentals, we have no way of knowing if the figure provided to the public in the press conference is true, we have no way of knowing that’s true,” the FNM leader said yesterday.

 Press Secretary Clint Watson said on Thursday that the PLP had fully reimbursed the Public Treasury for Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ controversial trip to Bermuda in October of last year.

 About the trip, Mr Watson said last week: “That’s behind us.”

 Though Mr Watson was unable to give an exact sum paid to the treasury, he said: “I think it’s close — from the records I have received — it’s just under $60,000 in total for the entire thing.”

 Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Pintard posed several questions concerning the “misappropriated” funds for the Bermuda trip.

 “We want to remind the public, the Prime Minister has admitted to having broken the law, there is no financial legislation that we have seen or they have referenced, that justifies a policy maker and his consultant — because again, if I recall the sequence correctly, the Prime Minister then spoke to his consultant who then undertook to either instruct or execute this transaction to then go on this trip,” Mr Pintard said.

 “We have not seen any legislation that permits them to cause a public servant to release funds from any government department to make this trip possible,” he said.

 “So what allows this loan to be repaid? Has the Auditor General been invited in to take a look at this matter? And what are the findings of the Auditor General? And essentially, they have broken the law, who is paying the price of the Prime Minister,” Mr Pintard said.

 “Repercussions are outlined in General Orders and that is any, any member of the civil service who misappropriated funds is punishable consistent with the laws outlined in General Orders and the public service,” he said.

 On October 19, 2022, Prime Minister Davis travelled to Bermuda with a delegation, including former Prime Minister Perry Christie and returned on October 20.

 The travel later caused questions to surface from the media and the opposition as to who paid for the trip.

 Responding to the FNM, Foreign Affairs Minister and PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell said there was nothing unusual about the trip and insisted that it was a standard official visit to another country at the invitation of the Premier of Bermuda E David Burt.

 But Communications Director in the Office of the Prime Minister Latrae Rahming had said earlier the travel costs were covered by the PLP.

 Days later, the party released a copy of a $24,000 cheque to the Public Treasury it said reflected payment from the organisation for the trip.

 However, it did not cover the trip’s full cost, which was estimated to be just under $60,000, according to Mr Watson.

 When contacted yesterday, PLP chairman Fred Mitchell had no comment.