Deputy Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons was critical of the Finance Ministry on several fronts — first for the way it handled the IPOC Group International Growth Fund.

The mutual fund is swamped in suggestions of scandal including illegal activity and corrupt connections with Russian authorities.

Finance Minister Paula Cox indicated the level of potential corruption involved with IPOC was highly dangerous.

At one point she declared: “People have been killed over this! You laugh at me,” the Minister continued, “but I had to go on a cruise and I didn’t get off when we were in Russia.

“I said: ‘I’m not getting off! I’m not getting off!’ My mother, my husband, they all thought I was stupid. I said: ‘I’m not stupid’.”

Ms Cox then admitted she is a little paranoid, but concluded her point by saying, “you have to prepare to do whatever is necessary to protect Bermuda’s interest”.

Russia has become further entrenched in the IPOC saga because advertisements run in local print this week have declared, “Office of Russia Prosecutor says IPOC has no case to answer.”

Dr. Gibbons also criticised Government for its failure to participate in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption - an event that is being touted by the UK Foreign Office as “a key priority for the British Government.”

Today marks International Anti-Corruption Day, tomorrow the UN’s conference begins in Jordan.

According to the Foreign Office’s website, Attorneys General from the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, and the Turks and Caicos will participate at the event to exhibit their intolerance for Government and financial corruption at home.

Dr. Gibbons wondered aloud why Bermuda wasn’t also on the list.

He chided, it would have been “travel money better spent.

“This Government has no problem spending money on travel.”