The Royal Gazette is to be congratulated for forcing Government to come clean on the "behind the scenes'' activities that preceded Police commissioner Colin Coxall's departure.

And if the daily newspaper's had not investigated the issues, the Bermudian public, including the Opposition Progressive Labour Party, would have been less fully informed.

Shadow Health Minister Renee Webb made these statements during the wide ranging debate on the Throne Speech which continued yesterday.

" The Royal Gazette and its editor David L. White are to be complimented,'' she said. "And all those who leaked stories to the daily paper.'' As a consequence she said Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness was forced to deliver a statement from the floor of the House to clarify issues raised about the Police Service in a series of stories and editorials in the Gazette .

Ms Webb said that were it not for the daily's pointed coverage, the public, including the PLP Shadow Cabinet, would not have known about many issues that had been conducted in secret.

"Without The Royal Gazette these things would have never become public and none of us would have known what was going on,'' she added. "It made the Government come clean.'' Ms Webb said that the stories in the daily forced the United Bermuda Party to be accountable.

Moreover she said the UBP Government forgot that the Police Service was not their responsibility because constitutionally Police matters that were not delegated to the Minister, belonged to the Governor.

Mr. Edness told the House of Assembly two weeks ago that in the end the row between himself and ex-Police Commissioner Coxall came down to a choice between one or the other.

And he told the first session of the House of Assembly that he informed Premier Pamela Gordon that he would quit if Mr. Coxall remained.

Mr. Edness and Mr. Coxall clashed over a succession plan to Bermudianise the two top jobs in the force.

And Mr. Edness insisted a crisis of confidence in the English Police chief was the reason behind Mr. Coxall's decision to retire five months before his contract ended.

Mr. Edness said: "Mr. Coxall's decision to resign as Commissioner of Police centred around our fundamental disagreements and Government's lack of confidence in him.'' Mr. Edness told the House that Mr. Coxall had agreed to draw up a training plan for Bermudian officers based on a UK model.

But Mr. Edness said: "Finally, at a meeting several weeks ago, in a manner which I considered disrespectful in the extreme, he flatly refused to produce the plan as previously agreed.

"I immediately informed the Premier that in the circumstances the Government could no longer have any confidence in Mr. Coxall and that I could not continue in my present portfolio while he remained Commissioner of Police.

"I had a duty to report this matter to His Excellency the Governor when I made it clear that I was prepared to step aside if he felt it was necessary for Mr. Coxall to continue.'' And Mr. Edness admitted that Mr. Coxall had raised the issue of a contract extension.

He said: "There was a time when I thought Bermuda would be best served if this were to happen....although a decision to keep him in Bermuda was not mine alone to make, I discussed the possibility of such a move with him.'' But he insisted: "Our discussions never reached the stage of my making any kind of formal proposition to him, nor could I.'' Mr. Edness said that Mr. Coxall was brought to the Island by then-Governor Lord Waddington on "the clear understanding'' that he establish a procedure to promote Bermudians in the service.'' But he added: "Why Mr. Coxall refused to fulfil the critically important responsibility to produce a succession plan I do not know.

"However, his angry refusal to draft a succession plan, which was witnessed by another, made it impossible for me to continue to support him.'' And Mr. Edness at the time hammered home the message that Mr. Coxall's decision to resign had nothing to do with the joint US/Bermudian drugs-busting Operation Cleansweep or the so-called Irving Pearman affair, when the Environment Minister was caught up in the swoop after two suspected drugs dealers were found to have cheques made out by Mr. Pearman.

Mr. Edness told the House he had decided to speak out amid "extensive speculation and debate'' on the circumstances surrounding Mr. Coxall's decision to quit.

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