Watson calls on FNM to reveal law government broke in funding Bermuda trip

Prime Minister’s Office (OPM) spokesperson Clint Watson yesterday asked those who accused the government of breaking the law in funding political tours and forcing the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) to refund the state coffers which laws were in effect. asked to show It broke on the way.

“I’ve heard people say it as if they were breaking the law. We ask, ‘What is the law?'” Watson said at the OPM press conference. rice field.

“You heard the opposition leader talking about it yesterday and we’re still trying to ask him ‘What is the law you’re referring to?

“When he mentions the law, we can look it up and see what he’s referring to. [to] It’s relevant, but I don’t know about the law. Sometimes I ask if he mentions anything in particular and what it is so we can investigate. ”

While speaking in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Free Peoples Movement leader Michael Pintard has strong ties to the PLP of the Bahamas, who accused the government of breaking the law and funding trips to Bermuda.

“It is against the law to have the government pay for political travel and receive reimbursement from political groups,” Pintard said.

“It’s against the law. The question is whether your head will spin as a result.”

Reporters pointed to the opposition leader’s comments yesterday and asked if there were any concerns that the government had broken the law.

Watson said, “As for breaking the law, I don’t know it, so I can’t speak to it. , has jurisdiction to make decisions.

“In this case, when he realized there was an element of political party involvement, he decided to handle the finances from his own party and not use the government.

“No one asked him or suggested he do it. It was his decision based solely on what he felt he should do, and many found it admirable.” I did.”

The Prime Minister and his delegation flew to Bermuda on a Western Air charter last Wednesday and returned home on Thursday.

Amid questions and controversy surrounding the political visit, the PLP released a photo Tuesday night of a $24,750 check drawn from FirstCaribbean International Bank accounts, dated Oct. 21 (a day after the delegation returned home). was.

OPM’s Director of Communications, Latrae Rahming, said PLP had paid for the travel on the same day, but explained that OPM paid for the travel and was (or was to be) reimbursed by the parties. There was no

Davis met in the House of Representatives on Wednesday with Bermuda’s prime minister at a meeting in Austin, Texas, earlier this year, and the prime minister invited him on an “official visit” and suggested he come during the Bermuda PLP convention in October. .

Davis told the House that the Bahamas PLP was not part of the trip at the time the government booked the charter.

He then said a PLP representative boarded the plane and decided that the cost would be “calculated.”

Watson said yesterday that the government does not regularly pay for the trip or receive reimbursements from political parties.

“It’s not something you wonder if it will happen next month,” he said.

“Whether or not parties and governments are constantly mingling, it’s not something that happens regularly. It doesn’t happen regularly.”

Watson could not confirm whether the Cabinet had approved the trip.

When asked how much money the government has authorized to spend on travel, he replied: