Opposition Leader Kim Swan last night called for a "full-fledged" independent investigation into the cheques alleged to have been doctored in order to "frame" Premier Ewart Brown and Cabinet Minister Derrick Burgess.

Government revealed the discovery of the two cheques — made out for thousands of pounds to the two MPs from the contractors building the new Hamilton Police/court building — at a press conference on Thursday.

But Mr. Swan said the briefing, which he said was called by the Premier "to get out in front of the mess", left more questions than answers and Bermudians across the Island were "rightly asking what the heck is going on?".

Mr. Swan said: "They have every reason to be concerned — another cloud over a government building project; more allegations involving government ministers. The situation raises disturbing questions."

He added: "We need a full-fledged independent investigation to get to the bottom of things; independent of Government. The Government investigating itself persuades no one."

Mr. Swan criticised Works and Engineering Minister Mr. Burgess for using the protection of parliamentary privilege to launch a "broadside" on Friday at Auditor General Larry General, who is conducting an audit of the Police/court building project.

And he said the Minister's claim that Shadow Works and Engineering Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin was a "mindless marionette" for the media was simply "childish name calling".

Mr. Swan said: "I am concerned that the Government's handling of the situation has needlessly hurt Bermuda's reputation, particularly at a time when we along with the rest of the world have far more important issues that need our attention.

"Any investigation should have been pursued internally and, if necessary, through the Police."

The UBP Leader said Bermuda needed to stay focused on managing the toughest economic challenges in more than a generation.

"This business can only be a huge distraction from that," said Mr. Swan. "We need all of us working together because the economic challenges in the months to come are going to affect everybody.

"We also want to take this opportunity to state that this scandal is one more reason Bermuda needs open transparent government. We have been calling for open government for years now, only to be ignored by the Government.

"This mess would have been avoidable if the government opened the books on its contracts."

Mr. Burgess said on Friday that the fabricated cheques, which Police are urgently investigating, were an attempt to injure Government.

The Premier's press secretary issued a press release describing them as an attempt to wrongly frame the two Ministers as corrupt.