The Voters Rights Association claim to have uncovered fresh evidence on intimidation of civil servants amid a climate of cronyism within Government.

And the VRA is considering setting up an advocates group to help fund court action for those whose rights have been trampled on.

Recently Bermuda Public Services Union (BPSU) general secretary Ed Ball spoke out about plummeting morale in the public sector amid rampant fear and a "malaise of mistrust."

He had said: "The union has definitely received increasing complaints about political interference, bullying and person's employment contracts being cancelled."

Head of the Civil Service Kenneth Dill said yesterday he would be meeting Mr. Ball to resolve the issue.

He told The Royal Gazette: "I don't dismiss the allegations. I just want to be certain that they are well-founded, that's what we are going to explore."

VRA co-chairman Stuart Hayward said the efforts of the BPSU and individual officers to fight for justice, possibly through the courts, are laudable.

"But they will only bear fruit if the system is working and, as we have heard, the system itself has been breached.

"The horrendous cost of court action has prompted the VRA to see the growing need for a publicly-spirited, publicly-funded volunteer advocacy group to assist all persons seeking remedies against the Government for breaches of their constitutional and human rights."

So the VRA is exploring forming an advocates group to raise funds for legal representation for people fighting important cases.

The VRA came out in support of the BPSU when it went public over bullying and has since been contacted by several members of the civil service who are, or have been, the victims of improper interference by high-level politicians.

Co-chairman Stuart Hayward said the VRA had heard credible evidence that members of the BPSU have been subject to intimidation and sanctions not permitted under the Constitution, the Public Service Commission regulations, Standing Orders and the collective agreement made by Government and the BPSU.

The VRA heard evidence of:

• the hiring of 'cronies' to provide services to the Government

• adjustments to contracts after they have been approved, those adjustments favouring the cronies and penalising the public

• failing to require fulfillment of contractual agreements to the detriment of public expectations that their funds will be well spent

• intimidation of public servants who might, in proper pursuit of their duty the public, question or challenge ineptitude, incompetence or breach of contractual agreements

• wrongful sanctions and even wrongful dismissals, clearly in retaliation for nothing more than the vigilance and due diligence that are the hallmarks of a first class civil service

• instilling a culture of fear through threats of dismissal if the ill-behaviour or non-delivery of contracted services from cronies are noted or called

• deterring officers from carrying out the duties prescribed by legislation and regulation and contracts

Mr. Hayward said: "The entire collection of misconduct has a corrupting influence on the civil service and has the potential to deter honourable people from entering or remaining in the fields of formal public service."

It also has the potential to reduce the handling of the public's not inconsiderable funds to patronage, cronyism and corruption on a massive scale, said Mr. Hayward.

The VRA said the level of intimidation is so rife and improper and even corrupt practices are so pervasive that the safeguards to protect the functions and job security of the civil service may have been breached.

"In such an atmosphere, even senior civil servants are intimidated and thwarted in the proper oversight of their departments," said Mr. Hayward.