The Premier led the tributes yesterday to Sir Richard Posnett, a former Governor of Bermuda who died this week aged 89.

Dr. Ewart Brown told The Royal Gazette that the Government was "saddened" to hear of Sir Richard's death, adding that his short tenure here was "a small piece of his prestigious 30 year plus diplomatic career with Her Majesty's Government which took him from Africa, Central America, the Caribbean and Bermuda, often during politically turbulent times."

Sir Richard's time as Governor from 1981 to 1983 was marred in controversy, ultimately leading to his forced resignation. He was accused of having misused Government funds, namely the mismanagement of his entertainment allowance, but was eventually exonerated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Sir Richard always maintained the real reason for his forced resignation was his reputation as a 'decoloniser', having helped British Honduras – now Belize – to independence years earlier as Governor there.

He believed his views were not shared by then-Finance Minister Sir David Gibbons, who he blamed for his downfall. Dr. Brown paid tribute to Sir Richard yesterday evening, remembering the career diplomat's "common touch" while Governor of Bermuda.

"Known as an enthusiastic decoloniser, Posnett came to Bermuda during a turbulent period of the early 1980s," Dr. Brown said. "He is remembered fondly by many, particularly on the Labour front as having a common touch.

"This was apparently a quality he was known for throughout his global service and his presence and manner helped to soothe some tensions here over the period."Though his time in Bermuda ended with controversy, we are pleased to note he was completely exonerated by the FCO and continued a productive international life."On behalf of the people of Bermuda we send condolences to his family especially his wife Eva and his sons and daughters." Governor Sir Richard Gozney added: "I did not know Sir Richard Posnett, although naturally I have read and heard about him and his time in Bermuda."My thoughts and condolences go to his family at their time of loss." The son of a Methodist missionary, Richard Neil Posnett was born in India in 1919.He went to St John's College, Cambridge, where he formed a ballet society, won a 120-yard hurdles race against Oxford and read Maths before switching to Law.He was called up by the RAF in 1940, and qualified as a pilot before joining the Foreign Service. He spent most of the next 20 years in Africa, mostly in Uganda, eventually overseeing that country's independence.In 1969 Sir Richard was present in Anguilla during it's split from St. Kitt's and Nevis and association with the Crown as a Dependent Territory.He also served in British Honduras shortly before it's Independence as Belize.Wednesday's Daily Telegraph reported that Sir Richard had turned down the post of consul general in South Africa because of his disdain for apartheid, and ended his career in charge of Britain's dependant territories.Shortly after retiring, however, he was offered the governorship of Bermuda.