On 14th June 2007, Tim Smith of The Royal Gazette Bermuda has reported "Despite the gag order, allegations hit the Net" advising:

The authorities may be attempting to gag the media — but that has not stopped potentially millions of people reading allegations about the Bermuda Housing Corporation affair over the Internet. Websites popular all over the world as well as blogs originating on the Island have been carrying a letter from a person claiming to be responsible for the dissemination of leaked documents relating to alleged corruption at BHC. The letter, by someone dubbing himself “Son of the Soil”, has been passed by e-mail to news groups including The Royal Gazette, and has now been posted on websites such as youth online community Facebook - click here to read the article

We too have been passed the e-mails but, rather than post them at this time, we have written to the Premier, Ewart Brown as below:

Ewart Brown
Alaska Hall, 16 Court Street, Hamilton, Bermuda

info@plp.bm

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Dear Mr. Brown

I have been sent the e-mails currently circulating signed off ‘Son of the Soil’ which contain information, allegations, apparently contained in a ‘leaked’ police report about the BHC scandal in respect of which I understand you are named as a suspect.  Whether or not the content of the e-mails is correct is unknown to me.  I have considered the e-mails and to enable me to consider their content would appreciate your responses to the following questions. I have, where possible, tried to ensure that the answers are a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I trust, as a public servant in Government office, you will have no hesitation answering the following:

1.      Who, to your knowledge is ‘Son of the Soil’?

2.      In 2001 were you having financial challenges or financial difficulties?

3.      Are you, or were you, listed in Island Construction Service's loan schedule as a 'Borrower';

4.      Are you, or were you at any time, a stakeholder and / or shareholder and / or investor in a company setup to secure the Government contract to export asbestos to Cuba?

5.      If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above did you and / or (to your knowledge) Nelson Bascome (then Minister apparently responsible for exporting the asbestos material) disclose your stake-holding in the  asbestos company to Parliament and / or your Cabinet colleagues?

6.      If not, why not?

7.      To your knowledge, where are the cedar beams missing from the St George's Post Office?

8.      Have any cedar beams from the St George's Post Office been installed in a residence currently or previously owned by you?

9.      Did you, either independently or with others pressure anyone to allow yourself and / or another run the Southside Project?

10.  Have any monies that you (directly or indirectly) owed to a construction company for work undertaken on any personal property owned (currently or previously) been hidden in the Southside project?

11.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above, what was the sum ‘buried’?  If you are unprepared to provide a specific figure, or unable to do so, do you believe the sum to be more or less than $422,000?

12.  How much did it cost to install the residence main gate at your A.P. Owen Rd. residence?

13.  Who paid for the main gate at your A.P. Owen Rd. residence?

14.  If it was the Ministry of Transport who paid for the gate, why?

15.  Have you ever submitted an application to the Department of Planning to subdivide your Flatt's property?

16.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above was the application ever rejected and if so why?

17.  If the application was rejected, was the decision ever overturned, if so by whom and why?

18.  Did you sell a property that facilitated the parking for your Flatt's property guest and residence to the Bermuda Government?

19.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above, for how much did you sell the property to the Bermuda Government for? If you are unprepared to provide a specific figure, or unable to do so, do you believe the sum to be more or less than $200,000?

20.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above, what was the property to be used for?

21.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above and the property was sold to the Government, did it become public property?

22.  Is it the case that the property continues to display signs indicating that the property, apparently a parking lot, is private, if so, why?

23.  Did you, either directly, or through an entity or individual, such as your real estate agent, apply pressure to any person in the Bermuda Housing Corporation's to purchase your Flatt's property?

24.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above for how much did you attempt to sell the property to the Bermuda Government (BHC) for? If you are unprepared to provide a specific figure, or unable to do so, do you believe the sum to be more or less than $500,000?

25.  Did any person associated with the Bermuda Housing Corporation's refuse to purchase the Flatt’s property and if so why?

26.  Did the purchase of your Flatt’’s property fall within the sphere of the Bermuda Housing Corporation's policy?

27.  Have you ever dined with Mr. Dill of the BHC at Newstead?

28.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above did you, at any of those meetings, carry with you a Sales Agreement for your Flatt's property?

29.  Have you ever, whether at the lunch or otherwise, attempted to pressure Mr Dill, or any other, into signing a Sales Agreement to purchase your Flatt's property?

30.  Have you ever, whether at the lunch or otherwise, asked Mr Dill, or any other, to sign a Sales Agreement to purchase your Flatt's property?

31.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above, on how many occasions did you ask Mr Dill, or any other, to sign a Sales Agreement to purchase your Flatt's property?

32.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above (@ 30), on how many occasions did Mr. Dill, or any other, refuse to sign a Sales Agreement to purchase your Flatt's property?

33.  Have you ever met with Mr. Dill in the Senate?

34.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above, did you, in the Senate, ask  Mr Dill to buy the Flatt's property?

35.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above, what was Mr Dill’s response?

36.  Has anyone, whether acting on your behalf, or with your knowledge, spoken with Mr Dill and instructed him to put your Flatt's property into the BHC's rental housing stock?

37.  Who renovated your Flatt's property?

38.  What was the cost of renovating your Flatt's property? If you are unprepared to provide a specific figure, or unable to do so, do you believe the sum to be more or less than $157,000

39.  Who paid for the renovation of your Flatt's property?

40.  At any time was the Flatt's property's mortgage being called in i.e. was settlement being sought by the lender?

41.  If you have responded ‘yes’ to the above question, why was the mortgage being called in?

42.  How much did Mr Dill (BHC) pay for your Flatt's property

43.  What did you believe the Faltt’s property to be worth at the date of sale?

44.  Is it the case that you received substantially more for the Flatt’s property than it was actually worth?

45.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above question, how do you as a Government Minister justify receiving excess public money from a Government quango?

46.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above question (44), what are you intentions with regard to the monies you obtained substantially in excess of the property’s worth?

47.  In what respect do you, a Government Minister, believe the purchase of your Flatt’s property by the Government quango to be ‘at arms length’, transparent and ethical?

48.  Are you or have you ever been a consultant to a company owned or operated by a Mr. DeSilva?

49.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above question, on what basis did you believe it was ethical and appropriate for you, as a Government minister, to be a consultant of Mr. Desliva’s company?

50.  If you were a consultant to a company owned or operated by a Mr. DeSilva, how much were you paid for the consultancy? If you are unprepared to provide a specific figure, or unable to do so, do you believe the sum to be more or less than $1,500.

51.  If you were a consultant to a company owned or operated by a Mr. DeSilva do you believe that you should have disclosed this income?

52.  If you were a consultant to a company owned or operated by a Mr. DeSilva, did you disclose this income?

53.  Is it the case that during the period 1999 and 2001, you benefited from the Government purse over and above your salary and ministerial perks?

54.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above question how much were you paid over and above your salary and ministerial perks?  If you are unprepared to provide a specific figure, or unable to do so, do you believe the sum to be more or less than $1,246,000?

55.  If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above question (@ 53) how do you justify this?

56.  Have you ever embezzled Government and / or public (tax payers) money?

57.  To your knowledge, did the Acting Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Kulandra Ratnesser, propose that civil action be taken against you for the recovery of the monies you acquired from Government and / or public (tax payers) money?

The questions can be located at on the web site www.bermudapolice.com, a site that displays a number of ‘leaked’ police documents but which Bermuda has permitted me to display.  I am keen to receive your response to enable me to consider the merit of posting the ‘Son of the Soil’ e-mails and to address questions already raised on the site.

My thanks in anticipation.

P Swift

cop@bermudapolice.com