Premier Alex Scott yesterday accused the Police Commissioner and the former Director of Public Prosecutions of being “unprofessional” for allowing the word “unethical” to be used to describe the Bermuda Housing Corporation scandal.

Mr. Scott also said he is in the dark regarding the names of Government Ministers and officials involved in the Bermuda Housing Corporation scandal - and without the evidence, he said, any further action would itself be “unethical”.

As Premier he can move to change the outdated laws which are relevant to the scandal, however. When asked if moves to change that legislation will be included in his Throne Speech in November, Mr. Scott told this newspaper: “Oh, we hope to have it well under way before that.”

And while Mr. Scott has no control over what happens to the Police report on the BHC investigation, he told this newspaper that he “would have no problem” releasing the Auditor General's report from 2002 which sparked off the Police investigation.

Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith and consultant to the DPP Kulandra Ratneser held a Press conference on Tuesday revealing the close of a two-year Police investigation into mismanagement and misconduct at the BHC.

At that conference the Commissioner and Mr. Ratneser said that while plenty of “unethical” behaviour was found - with both referring to transactions between the BHC and elected officials/Government Ministers - there was little which could be deemed as criminal under Bermuda's laws.

The case of former housing manager Terrence Smith is still before the courts and Mr. Ratneser is still reviewing files which could lead to criminal charges, though they do not involve anyone in the political arena.

Mr. Ratneser also stated that had the relevant legislation, which is nearly 100 years old, been updated: “The outcome could have been different”.

That Press conference sparked “shock and disbelief” within the UBP, with leader Grant Gibbons and deputy leader Michael Dunkley calling for the resignation or termination of all those involved with the BHC scandal.

However, Mr. Scott said yesterday, that call itself was “unethical”.

“There is no report this Premier has seen that has mentioned anyone's name ... I honestly do not know who this refers to,” he told reporters at a Press conference held at the Cabinet office.

Therefore, the Premier said it was impossible to comment on whether transactions such as those which took place between employees of the BHC and Government Ministers were unethical or not. “I do not even know if the former Premier had such a report.”

And, he pointed out, if he had demanded to know during the investigation, the media would have accused him of interfering with the Police.

However, he noted, the reason no political figures were finally named was because “there was no one in the political arena that even came close to being in violation of any laws”.

With that in mind, he said, the Opposition call for the heads of those involved is “asking the Premier to do what a two-year investigation could not ... act on innuendo, rumour, probably doing injury to someone's good name based on nothing more than the political mischievousness of the Opposition.

“Now that's unethical.”

When asked if he would ask the Commissioner for a copy of the Police report, Mr. Scott paused before shrugging to reporters. “If I thought it would be helpful - but the investigation is over ... It might make good bedtime reading (for the recommendations it may include).”

Adding that much of the report - such as any names - may still be confidential, Mr. Scott said: “If the Commissioner wants me to have it, I will get it.”

The Commissioner said on Tuesday that he would be waiting on the advice of the Governor before deciding whether or not to send the Police report to the Premier. Police reports are not usually made available to the public.

Mr. Scott did say he was “angry and disappointed” that the word “unethical” had been used.

“Wherever it originated, it was unprofessional,” he said. “If it originated with the Commissioner, unprofessional. The DPP, unprofessional. The Auditor General, unprofessional ... They know it carries more innuendo.”

The Police Commissioner is currently off the Island, and The Royal Gazette was unable to contact Mr. Ratneser last night. Both used the term “unethical” during Tuesday's Press conference.

“I will hold MPs to legal and professional standards, but when you begin to smear ... It must be made very clear to everyone that according to standards we currently have, no law was broken,” Mr. Scott said.

“How can I hold someone guilty to a standard that does not exist?”

It must be obvious that the Progressive Labour Party Government does care about transparency and misconduct at the BHC, however, he said.

It was the PLP Government which ordered the Auditor General's report after the subject was highlighted by Mr. Dunkley during the 2002 Budget Debate, and Government supported the Police investigation, he said.

“I don't need a text for this. I stand before you without a written statement ... Honest men do not need scripts.”

That said, however, the “culture of misconduct” at the BHC must be stopped, he said. “If it goes beyond me, I have failed.”

Mr. Dunkley contacted The Royal Gazette last night to respond to Mr. Scott's comments, calling them “showmanship”.

“This is a Premier with a history of impeding investigation - just ask the Auditor General,” he said. “This is a Premier who, when the going gets hot, fires a Minister - just ask Renee Webb. This is a Government who has a history of misleading the people to win an election.”

“Can we believe the Premier?” he asked, citing the spin placed on the construction of Berkeley, which first began under Mr. Scott's tenure as Works and Engineering Minister. “We're calling on the people of Bermuda to stand up and say, enough is enough ...

“If we do believe him fine, let's close the book, move forward ... But remember, the situation won't improve.

“Slowly but surely, wrong will be accepted as right ... We stand by what we said. The Premier won't be able to hoodwink the people of Bermuda.”