A Senator yesterday criticised the Premier's handling of the media after the publication in the Mid Ocean News of a leaked Police report into allegations of corruption at the Bermuda Housing Corporation.

Premier Dr. Ewart Brown was reportedly named as one of a handful of Ministers investigated by Police in a probe into BHC.

To defend his reputation, Dr. Brown made a television and radio broadcast, criticising Governor Sir John Vereker for not ensuring the security of the file's contents and warning him to investigate the source of the leak or the Government would "suspend further business" with him.

Senator Bob Richards told the Senate yesterday that he thought the Premier's address had backfired in that he felt Dr. Brown had portrayed himself in a worse light.

"I'd like to talk about the Premier's address to the nation about ten days ago," said Sen. Richards.

"It was extraordinary in its content, or lack of content, while it continued the expected vitriolic attack on the media."

He said the way Dr. Brown had conducted the broadcast had left him with the impression that "in my mind the story was true".

"If it happened to me I would be standing there saying 'that story is a pack of lies'," he said.

Junior Minister Senator Wayne Caines then stepped in to say the Premier had denied the allegations.

But Sen. Richards, of the UBP, said: "I didn't hear a denial, all we heard was a masterful attempt at misdirection. Instead of denying the story, he focused attention on who leaked the story, which is clearly an issue, but also the issue is the veracity of the story itself.

"I think many people felt he did so in a belligerent, undiplomatic and unseemly manner."

Sen. Caines rose again to Dr. Brown's defence, saying: "The Premier never attacked the Governor."

Sen. Richards replied: "He succeeded in getting the attention of the international Press. It was a two-edged sword, with a blunt and a sharp edge.

"The whole issue has cut a wound into Bermuda's reputation as a stable jurisdiction that has a respect for the rule of law and the tenets of justice and integrity. The blunt edge was that it didn't work at all."

Sen. Richards then criticised the Government for attempting to gag the media.

Last Thursday, Attorney General Philip Perinchief and the Police brought an injunction application before the courts to stop the media publishing or airing any further contents from the leaked BHC file. The injunction hearing was adjourned until yesterday morning and is set to continue today.

Sen. Richards said: "To try to get this story gagged was very interesting and the thing is, I think the gagging order had the opposite effect. People think there's more to come, so that had the wrong effect too.

"The muzzling of the media is a very disturbing thing."