Public Works Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin has denied allegations of abusing her position following claims she had Public Works staff repair her roof.

The Minister said her Permanent Secretary did send Public Works staff to place a tarp over a hole in her roof, which was damaged by Hurricane Gonzalo, but that she received no assistance that wasn’t available to the general public.

“There have been no repairs done to my house. There are still tarps on my roof,” she said yesterday.

“I received absolutely no preferential treatment, nor would I have wanted it.

“I still have a hole in my ceiling.”

She further said that she has already requested that her PS to bill her for the time that Public Works staff spent at her house, adding: “I didn’t want anybody to think that I’m using Works manpower to fix the tarp on my roof.

“That’s the reality of it. I had actually told them not to send Works up to my house for that very reason.”

Senator Diallo Rabain issued a statement on Sunday stating that he had heard reports that Ms Pamplin had used her position for her own personal benefit after Ministry of Public Works staff were sent to repair her roof.

“It has also been brought to our attention that the materials used to repair the damage at the private residence were taken out of the government inventory,” the Senator said.

“For this to have happened, it must have been with full knowledge and consent of the Premier. We are calling on The Premier to come clean and give the full story and explain why this abuse of position was allowed to occur under his leadership.”

Responding to the allegations yesterday, Ms Pamplin confirmed that her roof had been damaged during the storm and that her Permanent Secretary (PS) had sent Public Works staff — who were assisting members of the public across the Island — to her home.

“Between EMO meetings I was not able to get anybody to see to it, so I asked my PS for some assistance,” she said. “She asked someone to come and help put some tarps up on Saturday.”

Ms Pamplin said Works staff did place a tarp on her roof but it did not hold, and rain on Wednesday caused further flooding in her home. She said she again mentioned her roof troubles to her PS the following day, who again asked staff at the department to assist.

“They decided I needed two tarps,” she said. “They had someone bring the tarps, but by the time they got there it was already late so they came back on Friday morning.”

Ms Pamplin said the workers placed plywood on her roof but not a tarp. She subsequently had to call the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service for assistance this weekend when rain again began to pour into her home.

“They sent someone on Sunday morning, and on Sunday afternoon they sent a crew to come out and staple the tarp over the hole in the roof,” she said.

She said that she has so far received one estimate for the repair work, but will need a second for insurance purposes before she can hire a contractor to fix her ceiling.

“I still have tarps on my roof,” she said. “I’m just hoping it doesn’t rain again for the next few days.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Public works said that there were around 300 tarp assistance requests during Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Gonzalo including the Minister’s.