September 14, 2005

Dear Sir,

I understand that while my family and I were away from Bermuda on vacation in August, your paper, with the encouragement of certain members of the United Bermuda Party, decided to involve me and my wife in whether or not Mr. Andre Curtis should be appointed as Chairman of the Tourism Board. The cowardly attack on my wife and I is that it is claimed we were directors and shareholders with Mr. Curtis in First Choice Construction Limited at a time when the company racked up a tax debt of approximately $500,000, and the innuendo conveyed by some politicians and anonymous letters to the Editor, which you have indifferently decided to print, is that my wife and I are dishonest individuals. The letter in yesterday?s paper that you no doubt thought would make good copy (signed by someone who pathetically hides behind a pseudonym) suggests that we are thieves. I note that you decided to print the letter despite your paper?s stated policy that ?Letters under pen names should not contain personal attacks?.

It is regrettable that, for reasons unbeknownst to me and my family, has allowed politicians and anonymous members of the public to disseminate libellous statements against me and my wife. It is sadly disappointing that your paper printed what these people wanted to say without caring about whether it was true or not. As your articles seek to damage our good reputation in the community where we have raised our children, built businesses and tried over the course of 20 years to make a positive contribution, I am forced to respond to the personal attacks. This is what you failed to report:

1. While it is true that my wife and I were directors and shareholders in First Choice, our involvement was relatively short-lived. The company was incorporated on February 2, 1994. By March 15, 1996, my wife and I had transferred all of our shares in the company and resigned as directors. Mr. Curtis wished to continue operating the company and he therefore had a new board of directors appointed, including the appointment of an account administrator, and changed the registered office of the company.

2. After our resignation, my wife and I had no further interest or involvement with the company. I am aware that the company thereafter continued on with its construction business and early on in 1996 secured and undertook a very lucrative contract to build condominiums.

3. On June 23, 1998, more than two years after my wife and I amicably parted ways with the company, the company was wound up.

4. Prior to resigning in March, 1996, we asked Mr. Curtis to provide us with a current list of all outstanding company obligations as we wanted to ensure that any company obligations were met prior to our disengagement. The list included outstanding Government taxes in the amount of $53,899.72. With the cooperation and assistance of Mr. Curtis, the company?s debts were either paid up in full or suitable repayment plans were put into place. When my wife and I resigned, we believed the company had been put on a good footing, was meeting its obligations and had sufficient construction opportunities to meet any of its future, ongoing obligations.

I suppose you could respond by saying ?but you never told us your side of the story?. I have no obligation to educate the Press on matters I consider to be private. The only reason I am compelled to do so now is because the paper seems to have been momentarily hijacked by politicians and misguided people, who hide behind pseudonyms, to make or perpetuate false and extremely damaging claims. I trust that you will publish a prominent apology for printing the libellous statements, and take appropriate steps to ensure that the paper is not used as a vehicle to cause further harm to me and my wife. How you conduct yourself now may determine whether there will be further action against .