Finance minister Bob Richards has decided to release the airport project agreement to all 36 of Bermuda’s MPs without requiring them to sign non-disclosure agreements but pages relating to critical financial information are blank. Shadow finance minister and Opposition Leader David Burt told Think Media that after a war of words between the parties on…...
Archives for January 2017
Government silent on PLP’s compromise offer on airport dispute
The dispute between the island’s two political parties on the way forward on the controversial airport development project (see stories here and here) escalated again today with charges that the Government has misrepresented the Opposition’s position as a critical deadline looms. Progressive Labour Party leader David Burt released correspondence showing that his party adjusted its…...
Police Commissioner loses bid to halt Reddy lawsuit
Corruption, fraud and money laundering investigation said to be nearing completion
Chief Justice Ian Kawaley yesterday rejected a bid to stop judicial review proceedings brought by physician Mahesh Reddy against the Commissioner of Police. But the court heard that a long running police investigation into corruption, money laundering and fraud is nearing completion and police are hopeful that criminal charges would be laid soon. In a…...
Digicel work permit categories for 80 foreign workers revealed
Questions remain. Telco division of BIU was consulted. Students could benefit with internships.
Questions remain over Digicel’s mass importation of foreign labour to upgrade its network, but both government and the company have not responded to our queries about the project. In the meantime, we have obtained a list of 18 job categories for which the work permits were issued. Translators are not included on the list but our…...
Digicel imports dozens for fibre optic cable installation
Company subcontracts installation to Guatemalan companies. Flown in by private charter last night
Telecommunications company Digicel last night flew in about 80 workers from Guatemala to install an island wide fibre optics network. Many of the workers are Guatemalan, with a few from Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico. The group which consists of translators, fibre technicians and other workers will be working here for up to six months. All…...
A sit down conversation with Jason Hayward
Our inaugural chat with the president of the civil servants' union and a leader of The People's Campaign
In his first on camera sit down conversation with Think Media, Jason Hayward talks about his motivations, The People’s Campaign and tells what would lead him to drop opposition to the airport redevelopment project. See it here in full: This article belongs to Politica ! The original article can be found here: A sit down…...
Rev Tweed is “immune from expulsion” – lawyer
to stay on island pending outcome of court hearing; presiding elder expresses "jubilation"
Lawyer Delroy Duncan is to argue before a judge that AME pastor Reverend Nicholas Tweed belongs to Bermuda and cannot be ordered to leave. The AME church and Rev Tweed have won the first round of legal proceedings against the government’s decision not to grant him a work permit and to order him off the…...
Minister open to dialogue with churches on work permit policy
work permit policy shift dates back to the Progressive Labour Party government
Home Affairs Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin is open to discuss changes to the work permit policies for churches. Gordon-Pamplin agreed that the policy which requires churches to advertise vacancies for pastors was “worth a conversation”. But she insisted that current policy must be adhered to. She spoke to Think Media following a January 6 press conference…...
St Paul AME Church “riding out the storm” undeterred
Church vows to continue speaking out on social issues in wake of pastor's work permit rejection
After several weeks in the media spotlight over a rejected work permit application for its pastor, St Paul AME church is facing the future undeterred from its social activism role. Rev Nicholas Tweed’s voice at the church regarded as the cathedral of Bermuda’s AME churches has been stilled for now but no one doubts that…...
A dozen police officers hit by pepper spray on December 2
A dozen police officers were affected by their colleagues’ use of pepper spray on protesters outside the House of Assembly on December 2. And more details have emerged about the use of force with police commissioner Michael DeSilva acknowledging that he is only aware of three persons receiving aftercare from police officers after being pepper…...