The Union Asset Holdings controversy in quotes

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"The Auditor General's behaviour indicates that he shares the all-too-common belief that people of African descent are illiterate and chained in darkness, and for them to have any type of success, they must be duly humble and suitably subservient," said Mr. Burgess.

"The Auditor General goes on to conjecture that it is unlikely that the BIU is in a financial position to satisfy the bond claims, should there be any."

Then BIU president Derrick Burgess in November 2002 reacts angrily after Auditor General Larry Dennis voices serious doubts over whether or not UAH or the BIU had sufficient assets to cover a multi-million dollar claim.

"The Auditor General's behaviour indicates that he shares the all-too-common belief that people of African descent are illiterate and chained in darkness, and for them to have any type of success, they must be duly humble and suitably subservient," said Mr. Burgess.

"The Auditor General goes on to conjecture that it is unlikely that the BIU is in a financial position to satisfy the bond claims, should there be any."

Then BIU president Derrick Burgess in November 2002 reacts angrily after Auditor General Larry Dennis voices serious doubts over whether or not UAH or the BIU had sufficient assets to cover a multi-million dollar claim.

"I have always harboured doubts about whether the security for the performance bond was real and whether the purchase of the bond was not just some scheme to extract $700,000 from the public purse.

"I am persuaded that the BIU might be viewed as many as an organisation, life without which in Bermuda would be unthinkable. For this reason, I had doubts that any Government would, by prosecuting a claim for $6.8 million against Union Asset Holdings Ltd, inflict perhaps fatal damage on the Bermuda Industrial Union."

Auditor General Larry Dennis in his special report issued February 2009.

[AT]EDITRULE:"The inference to be drawn from this almost offensive paragraph is that double and triple proof is required from this Government before its word can be accepted by this supposed impartial public officer. "Mr. Speaker, this is unprecedented and speaks to a relationship that has severely broken down."Premier Dr. Ewart Brown issues an angry response in the House in March 2009 after Larry Dennis expresses Government is serious about getting its money back from UAH, despite a solicitor's letter threatening legal action against UAH unless it paid the $6.8 million within 14 days.[AT]bodyindent:"Cabinet has decided it is in the best national interest of Bermuda to release Union Asset Holding, and by extension the Bermuda Industrial Union, of its burden in the $6.8 million dollar performance bond."Even if the Government won its case, the BIU and its 4,000 workers would be a damaged organisation, unable to stand up for workers' rights as it has done since 1947. In essence we could win the case, but lose the country's largest union."Premier Dr. Ewart Brown explains Government's U-turn, after promises it would try to recoup the taxpayer's money, to a press conference yesterday.

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