Nearly five million dollars and climbing with no charges laid to date. That’s the bottom line on the ongoing investigation by the Bermuda Police Service into former Premier Dr Ewart Brown.
The price tag was revealed in the House of Assembly on Friday by the Minister of National Security, Wayne Caines in response to questions from Progressive Labour Party MP and Deputy Speaker Derrick Burgess.
But questions on the legal costs, the firms used and legal fees as a result of the lawsuit against Lahey Clinic remain unanswered.
As it turned out the time allocated for Parliamentary Questions ran out before the Minister could answer and so it will be carried over to the next session on Friday.
Police launched the investigation in 2011 following allegations of corruption against Dr Brown.
The former Government administration also launched a civil lawsuit against Lahey that accused Dr Brown of profiting from diagnostic tests deemed unnecessary.
Dr Brown has denied the allegations more than once and has yet to be formally charged with anything.
Minister Caines provided the following breakdown of the costs for the ongoing investigation:
- For man hours in Bermuda and overseas: $4,688,184
- For airline and ground transportation: $64,445
- For accommodation in Bermuda and overseas: $80,000
The questions were fielded in the House by Michael Scott in the absence of Mr Burgess, who is off-island.
When the time allocated for Parliamentary Questions ran out Mr Scott said there was “extreme public interest” at stake.
He appealed to Dennis Lister, the Speaker of the House, to suspend the rules and allow the questions to continue. But he was advised to ask that the questions be deferred until the next sitting of the House on Friday, July 19.
