Kim Swan

Opposition Leader Kim Swan yesterday called for Premier Ewart Brown to break his silence on faith-based tourism as fears grow that Andre Curtis' unpaid bills are damaging the Island's international reputation.

Preachers from the UK and US have complained that Mr. Curtis has left them badly out of pocket — despite him receiving hundreds of thousands of taxpayers' dollars to run the controversial scheme in 2007-08.

Yesterday, Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. Swan called for Premier and Tourism Minister Dr. Brown to start answering questions over the disbursement of faith-based tourism funds.

Mr. Curtis runs Dr. Brown's Progressive Labour Party constituency in Warwick South Central. Both deny faith-based tourism has been used as a method for Dr. Brown to get cash to Mr. Curtis as a thank you gesture.

"We need Government to explain what happened to the significant amount of taxpayers' money that Mr. Curtis was allocated and why these church ministers have not been paid for their services," said Mr. Swan in a statement. "This bad publicity can only hurt Bermuda's overseas reputation. And it saddens me that tourism initiatives undertaken in the good name of Our Father are responsible.

"Hopefully the Auditor General will have the opportunity to review Mr. Curtis' financial arrangement with the Department of Tourism and the disbursement of funds.

"In the meantime, the Premier needs to break his silence on this important issue and address the concerns felt by many throughout the community."

Mr. Swan also asked Finance Minister Paula Cox to speak out over the claims of Baltimore-based Jamal Bryant and British-based Bishop John Francis — although Ms Cox pointed out the chief accounting officer for faith-based tourism operates within the Ministry of Tourism and Transport.

Last week, Gospel performer Bishop Francis declined to contribute to The Royal Gazette's review of faith-based tourism in 2007-08 — his administrator telling us they had been left with a sour taste in the mouth because Mr. Curtis shortchanged the Bishop by thousands of pounds following his performance at the National Stadium last October.

Contacted last Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Curtis told this newspaper he had paid Bishop Francis earlier in the day. This newspaper understands that not to be the case. Later, Dr. Bryant's executive assistant said the preacher never received payment for his performance at St. Paul AME Church in November.

Since then, this newspaper has received phone calls and e-mails from Bermuda, the US and the UK questioning Mr. Curtis' actions.

To justify his $400,000 payment, Mr. Curtis was supposed to organise ten get-togethers throughout the year, bringing 2,200 tourists to the Island.

Dr. Brown, the Department of Tourism and Mr. Curtis have all repeatedly refused to reveal details about how many tourists have been attracted, with Opposition MP Wayne Furbert claiming the figure is 100 at the most.

Mr. Curtis has given inconsistent answers when asked how many events he set up. This newspaper's A Right To Know: Giving People Power campaign is calling for Government and other public bodies to answer questions about their activities unless they have sound and irrefutable reasons not to.

Dr. Brown describes A Right To Know as "a campaign without opposition" and says he is committed to introducing public access to information in Bermuda.

However, he has been exercising his right under existing laws to only answer questions through the parliamentary process when the House of Assembly is sitting.

In February, responding to United Bermuda Party's parliamentary questions on the precise cost of the administration of faith-based tourism, Dr. Brown said answers would be available to the Department on April 5, 2008, in accordance with an agreement with Mr. Curtis' firm Harvest Investment Holdings.

Nothing has been disclosed so far.

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