A tourism boss has hit out after being identified by Auditor General Larry Dennis as receiving a massive severance package.

Glenn Bean received the standard settlement package plus 18 months' salary when his position as director of Sales and Marketing was terminated in November 2007 — a figure Mr. Dennis says amounted to $440,000.

According to Government figures, this was significantly more than any of the other 30 employees who left the North American Tourism Offices in a four-year period — all of whom received the standard package plus three months' salary or less.

In his special report released this week, Mr. Dennis stated Mr. Bean "resigned" shortly after he began pressing Tourism's advertising agency GlobalHue for copies of media vendors' invoices.

Mr. Dennis claims taxpayers spent $1.8 million in overpayments to GlobalHue, an American company which received commissions as high as 186 percent.

Responding yesterday, Mr. Bean said he had not been "paid off" and was not given anything "above and beyond what was due to me".

He said he worked for the Department of Tourism for 20 years and the cash included his severance amount, unused vacation and accrued pension.

Mr. Bean said in a statement: "None of this is new. The New York pension scheme was created many years ago and I would imagine that Mr. Dennis knew this.

"The separation agreement and general release that we, Bermuda Tourism and myself (by way of legal counsel from Mello Jones & Martin) agreed to is a legal document to the letter.

"And in good faith, we finalised an agreement that we felt was due according to past precedent, Government policy, the collective bargaining agreement and reasonable and fair expectation.

"When speaking of my separation agreement there were items that one would have to take into consideration before signing on the dotted line. I think it only wise to seek legal counsel prior to doing so. And let me make this perfectly clear, my legal representation worked in tandem with the BPSU.

"Quite frankly, why single my separation agreement out from the pile? That is beyond me. It is for my understanding the last wave of employees who recently left the Department of Tourism collectively addressed their separation agreement via the BPSU and I am sure there were unique considerations as a part of their discussion prior to their departure, at least it should have been.

"The public should not be misled to believe that any of us, past employees with the department, received a 'pay-off'. Our pension plan, severance pay, accrued vacation and fair expectation according to unique circumstances, is not a 'pay-off'.

"And for the record, for my entire tenure with the Department of Tourism I received outstanding performance evaluations. I was not for any reason released for non-performance, underperforming or improperly performing. And to squash public gossip that I was paid 'hush money', no one can gag me with money that is 'due' to me. I will not be silenced with my own vacation pay, vested pension benefit and severance package. I believe those monies were rendered given all of the above mentioned observations. My civic liberties were not and are not up for sale."

Meanwhile, GlobalHue backed up Premier Ewart Brown's claims that there was nothing suspicious going on.

Executive vice president Jacqueline Reynolds said in a statement last night: "GlobalHue appreciates the opportunity to respond to and reject any allegations that our media practices or other agency services provided to the Bermuda Department of Tourism (BDOT) have been conducted in any way that is either prohibited by Bermuda law, irresponsible to our client or not in accordance with the scope of work and agency agreement with BDOT.

"We take matters of integrity very seriously and, as such, provided the BDOT a written rebuttal to Auditor General Larry Dennis's special report on March 6, 2009.

"We recognise and share Mr. Dennis' intentions of operating in the best interest of the Bermudian taxpayers and we take great pride in that GlobalHue's BDOT campaigns have positively contributed to the overall Bermuda economy, by significantly increasing visitors along with the amount of dollars they spend while travelling there.

"GlobalHue values our relationship with the BDOT, as we have with all of our prestigious clients over the past 20 years, and we look forward to continuing to deliver the most impactful BDOT campaigns and marketing communication possible, in order to effectively meet the Bermuda Department of Tourism's growth objectives.

"There are clearly discrepancies in Mr. Dennis' audit and we hope that the Auditor General will seek to understand the explanations and clarifications made not only in our letter to the BDOT, but in communications provided to him by the Government, before continuing to cast doubt on GlobalHue's ethics and business practices."