Opposition MP Patricia Gordon-Pamplin has accused trustees of Bermuda's public golf courses of mismanaging funds.

And she called for the trustees responsible to step down.

Financial reports from 2002-2005 for public golf courses, which at the time included Port Royal, St. George's and Ocean View, were tabled in the last House of Assembly session in December, 2009.

The financial statements appear to show the golf courses went from a $1.4 million operating profit in 2001 to an operating loss of $237,000 in 2005.

However, the former Auditor General Larry Dennis said he was unable to give an opinion on the reports because of "serious deficiencies in the accounting records of the Board and in the system of internal controls" in his Auditor's Report finished in 2007.

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin said Mr. Dennis's statements were "serious and damning".

And she said the fact that the financial statements were not tabled in the House of Assembly until two years after Mr. Dennis had completed his report was another example of mismanagement.

"What on earth justifies these reports being filed so late?" Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin asked. "Why are we getting a financial report issued to the public eight years after the fact?

"And what's with the process of the work?

"Why does it take nearly five years to complete and disseminate the data to the public? Businesses do it within months of their year-end. Five years? Is anybody in Government saying this is not acceptable?"

She added:<\p>"Beyond the timing, which is inexcusable, the reports themselves reveal that our public golf courses are being operated with such little regard for the people's money that it raises questions about the integrity of the operations and the people managing them.

"The Auditor General was so troubled by the numbers put forward in the various reports that he had no choice but to issue a formal denial of opinion."

And she alleged the trustees responsible for the reports had failed to ensure the public monies they manage were properly accounted for. She added they should ensure their reports are filed in a timely manner and make sure the numbers they submit are supported with evidence.

"If they do not, they should resign and the Government appoint trustees who have the interests of the public and the golfing community at heart," she said. "The trustees must accept that the golf courses are more than just a place where they play golf [EmDash] they have a much higher responsibility."

The Royal Gazette was unable to contact Wendell Brown who is currently head of the Board of Trustees for the public Golf Courses.

The Royal Gazette contacted Minister Zane DeSilva who was Deputy Chair of the Board as of November, 2009, but he did not return messages by press time. It is not known if he is still on the Board since he joined the Cabinet in December, 2009.

The Department of Tourism, which public golf courses come under, declined to comment with a spokeswoman saying the Board has to comment on its finances.

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin's full statement can be read on the opinion Page .