The Anglican Bishop has called for a Truth and Reconciliation committee to resolve the polarisation of society on the Island.

Bishop Ewen Ratteray feels the scandal that has erupted over the Bermuda Housing Corporation investigation has led to a country more divided along race lines then ever before. And in an interview with The Royal Gazette after announcing his retirement to take place next year, Bishop Ratteray said the recent legal wrangling is just prolonging the polarisation and lack of reconciliation in the country.

“The investigation has polarised the Island more than I have ever seen it in my time and I think some people have become unthinking,” he said. “

“We tend to cut down race lines when there is a scandal. PLP MP Renee Webb talked some time ago about a Truth and Reconciliation Committee and I was very supportive of that.

“It appears to be dead in the water here but something of that nature needs to be done here. We can and must do this.”

The investigation into the leaking of a Police report on the BHC corruption scandal began after ZBM and the Mid-Ocean News published extracts on May 23 and June 1 respectively from the dossier.

The leaked dossier — said to run to thousands of pages — reportedly revealed that Dr. Brown, former Premier Jennifer Smith, former Ministers Renée Webb and construction boss Zane DeSilva were investigated by Police looking into allegations of corruption at the Government quango.

Police Commissioner George Jackson and Attorney General Philip Perinchief then launched legal actions against the Island’s media asking for a ban on the so-far unpublished sections being reported.

Their request was ruled out by Chief Justice Richard Ground on June 19 and upheld by the Court of Appeal on June 25, but will now go to the Privy Council in London.

Following the ruling by the Chief Justice both the Premier and Mr. Bascome, the former Health Minister, filed their own writs in the Supreme Court against the media outlets though neither have brought a case yet.

And Saul Froomkin QC, representing The Royal Gazette>and its sister paper the Mid-Ocean News, had said the decision to send the appeal to the Privy Council could take between eight and 12 months to be heard.

But this week, Bishop Ratteray said eight months to one year was too much time for the Island to sit in limbo and would only lead to further problems for Bermuda. He said: “Going to the Privy Council is only going to delay things. And what is going to happen to the writ filed by Brown and Bascome and will the gag order remain until those go to court?

“We need a resolution. If there is a way to resolve it it needs to be done ASAP. Because we are toying with the social and economic well-being of this society, it needs to be resolved quickly.

“It doesn’t take much for people to get nervous and international business could go anytime and what would Bermuda do?”