The United Bermuda Party is in London this week to discuss its call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Bermuda Housing Corporation investigation.

Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley and Deputy Leader Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, along with Cole Simons and Dr. Grant Gibbons, will meet with members of the British government and Parliamentary officials. Today they will meet with Sir Philip Mawer, who is the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, as well as members of the House of Commons Committee for Standards in Public Life. Tomorrow they plan to meet senior officers at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office with responsibilities for Bermuda.

A spokesman said: “Their meetings will also be used to underscore United Bermuda Party concerns about recent events related to the BHC investigation and their call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

“They believe that the people of Bermuda have a right to know what happened with the BHC investigation and the handling of that investigation as it has a direct bearing on their confidence and trust in government and the criminal justice system.

The call for the Commission came after The Royal Gazette’s sister paper The Mid-Ocean News ran a story from a leaked Police dossier centring on allegations of corruption at the BHC.

The documents reportedly revealed that Premier Ewart Brown, former Premier Jennifer Smith and former Ministers Nelson Bascome and Renée Webb were all investigated by fraud squad officers looking into the BHC allegations.

Since the investigation into the BHC corruption — which is believed to have cost the taxpayer $8m — one person has been jailed. Terence Smith, a junior BHC officer, was found guilty and jailed last year on 41 counts of fraud.

The Opposition would like the Commission to look into some of the issues such as why Ministers were allegedly protected from police questioning. It also hoped the Commission would would recommend what changes should be made to Bermuda’s criminal code.

The spokesman also said: “Mr. Dunkley and his colleagues will further express their concerns over the Bermuda Government’s reaction to press reports of the BHC scandal, including Police raids of the offices of media organisations, the office of the Auditor General as well as the arrest of the Auditor General himself.”

While in London they will also host a cocktail party this evening for Bermudian students living in London.

UBP is holding talks in London