to gag the media after she tried to force a television journalist to reveal his sources.

United Bermuda Party Development Minister Allan Marshall pointed out that the bid had no basis in law.

The Premier was angry after VSB News Director Bryan Darby said unnamed sources had criticised the size of Bermuda's delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The Government statement asked him to substantiate these claims.

Their faxed statement said: "Mr. Bryan Darby, the VSB News Director, has been told if he cannot substantiate the claims, he is to issue a retraction.'' Mr. Marshall pointed out that Government had no authority to tell the media to do anything of the kind.

He said the Premier seemed to have forgotten about last year's landmark legal case which found that former Royal Gazette journalist David Marchant was entitled to refuse to reveal his sources.

Mr. Marshall said: "She is out of her depth. She should never have taken this tack. She has a short memory. She should have remembered the court case, it ran for a long time.'' He also attacked comments by Development Minister Terry Lister who said Government had asked Mr. Darby to privately name his sources.

Mr. Marshall said: "This is extremely dangerous. Journalists will feel threatened. Nobody in their right mind would want to speak to anyone in the media and that would mean that information that should have got out, won't get out.

"This leads me to think they are trying to strong arm the media.'' Mr. Marshall said Government's handling of the matter was similar to the Donald Peters' controversy where the Bermuda College Vice President was caught releasing a memo exclusively to black colleagues with unsubstantiated allegations that a work rival was a white supremacist and racist.

Mr. Marshall said: "Rather than punish Dr. Peters they had this witch hunt to see who had leaked the document.

"The Government really should get a grip. Speculation only occurs because Government operates under the cloud of secrecy. What they should be doing is inviting people for their input.

"Sources divulged information and the media ran with it as they should to get things out in the open.

"I am surprised the Government haven't refuted the speculation. The Government should say exactly what it is doing in regard to the Davos conference.

"We live in a democracy, but they way they are going we might as well hang up the sign which says dictatorship.

"If things are said incorrectly, then Government should put their case. If you are guided by your own principals you have no reason to hide things.

"Then there will be no embarrassment when those things come out for public consumption'' Mr. Lister could not be reached for comment.