One of the partners of threatened contractor BermudaTech last night spoke out to "put the record straight" over the future of the company.

Director Jonathan Baxter said he had no idea about the controversy surrounding the firm until he arrived back on the Island yesterday afternoon to find stories in the media claiming that the business had gone bust.

Shaking with emotion, Mr. Baxter told The Royal Gazette: "I have been fuming about this. I don't know what has happened while I have been away, it looks like someone has panicked, and in turn, made the bank panic.

"I have just got back today. I did not disappear, as the stories have been saying. I left Bermuda on January 29 to go to Victoria, British Columbia, with my brother to sort out my mother's affairs. She has been assessed as incapable, so we had to go over there to handle all of that. Needless to say, I have had a bad trip with that, and then I come back to face this.

'This is mind-boggling. I want everyone to know that I did not disappear. I have never walked away from something. Bermuda is my home and I would never do that."

The Royal Gazette reported Thursday how one of the partners, Terry Griffiths, had informed the Works and Engineering Ministry that BermudaTech had run into trouble, claiming that one partner had disappeared and two others had resigned.

The claims threw doubt over massive renovation works at Spice Valley Middle School, which were being carried out by BermudaTech and were due to be completed by August.

Minister Alex Scott vowed that the work would be finished, but said he wanted to give BermudaTech sufficient opportunity to inform him of what its status was before his staff took over the job. As of yesterday afternoon, he said he still had not ascertained that information.

Mr. Baxter last night said he planned to call Mr. Scott at home straight away to provide him with as much information as he could.

The partner, who has three other businesses on the Island, said when he arrived back and discovered what had happened he called the bank and was informed that a receiver had been brought in.

He then met with the bank late yesterday afternoon and a further meeting has been arranged for this morning involving each of the partners, the bank and the receiver.

Mr. Baxter said: "I can't talk about the business affairs because it is in the hands of the receiver, but we are meeting (today) and I'm hoping that we will be able to continue. It's my hope that we can carry on with BermudaTech and Spice Valley Middle School. I have materials at the docks waiting to be brought off, and everything.

"Unless the receiver says something, there is no reason why we cannot finish it. As far as I'm concerned, we have an agreement there and we will stick to it. I want to get us back on track."

Mr. Baxter said he had no idea why things had transpired the way they had. He said nobody from the company had contacted him about the problems this week - only his wife had.

"I don't want people in Bermuda to think that I disappeared and ran away," he added.

"I'm not hiding. I have other businesses here. I have a house and a mortgage and kids in school. People are going to look at me strangely.

"I am hoping that we can get this whole thing resolved very soon."

Mr. Baxter said he had no idea last night what had happened to his employees, and whether or not they had left to find other work.

He said: "There are a lot of things to sort out, but I have already started today with the bank."