The national security minister reiterated his call to either charge Ewart Brown or end investigations focused him.

Wayne Caines told MPs yesterday that the inquiry into Dr Brown “has gone on for a long time”.

He added: “It is time for the Department of Public Prosecutions to make a decision whether or not this matter should proceed.”

The comment came during Question Period in the House of Assembly in response to questions from Derrick Burgess, the Deputy Speaker.

Mr Burgess asked Mr Caines what was the longest ongoing Bermuda Police Service investigation of a public official in the island’s history.

The Deputy Speaker also asked what had been the most expensive investigation of a public official and a private resident.

Mr Caines told MPs that he could not provide answers.

He explained: “The BPS are unable to identify the longest investigation that has been undertaken, given the records do not reflect this information.”

Mr Caines added: “BPS do not record the cost of investigation as this is something that is difficult to quantify.”

Parliament heard in July that more than $6 million had been spent on investigations into Dr Brown and an overseas hospital.

Mr Caines told MPs at the time that the total cost to taxpayers of investigations into Dr Brown and the Lahey Hospital and Medical Centre in Boston had reached $6,096,437.

He added: “It’s now an opportunity for us to put this case to Bar or allow this matter to take a natural course, and go another direction.”

Dr Brown said at the time that the investigations had “more to do with a political vendetta than it has to do with diagnostic scans or political corruption”.

The former premier added: “When our legal fees are added to the totals provided by the BPS, and the creative accounting, the total figure is closer to $10 million.

“Therefore, we expect them to ‘discover’ something in order to justify their fishing expedition. We are prepared.”

Stephen Corbishley, the Commissioner of Police, vowed that the inquiry into the former premier would continue.

He said: “The BPS will continue to investigate these matters, thoroughly and expeditiously, in consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions team.”

Police launched an investigation after allegations of corruption against Dr Brown were made by disgraced financier David Bolden in 2011.

A civil lawsuit was filed by the OBA government against Lahey in February 2017, accusing Dr Brown of profiting from unneeded diagnostic tests at his medical practices. It was dismissed by a US court in March 2018.

The allegations have been denied by Dr Brown, and he has not been charged with any offence. He has called the investigation a political witch-hunt and repeatedly called for it to be ended.

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