The One Bermuda Alliance yesterday urged Premier Paula Cox to “stop trying to cover up” breaches of Financial Instructions and hold Government officers accountable.MPs Trevor Moniz and Bob Richards hit back at Cabinet Office’s claim confidentiality protocol is preventing it saying whether anyone has been punished over the Faith-Based Tourism or TCD development controversies.Supreme Court has heard how leading civil servant Marc Telemaque directed public funds be given to FBT boss Andre Curtis before a contract was signed, while Auditor General Heather Matthews has condemned a lack of oversight in Mr Telemaque’s former Tourism Ministry as the TCD project costs soared from $5.3 million to $15.2 million.Mr Curtis was the political campaign manager for former Premier and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown; the TCD project went to a company partly-owned by Dr Brown’s close friend Dennis Correia without being put out to tender.Ms Matthews said she believes nobody has the fortitude to punish Government officers who failed to comply with Financial Instructions, saying Ms Cox has the power to make surcharges under the Public Treasury (Administration and Payments) Act 1969.Ms Cox has never been reported to have used those powers, with Cabinet Secretary Mr Scott explaining yesterday there is a “process of confidentiality in the disciplinary process”. However, Mr Moniz and Mr Richards argued in a joint statement: “It is clear from the investigation and reports of both the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee that there are instances of breaches of Financial Instructions.“Nowhere in this Act does it say that surcharges and other penalties must be conducted in secret.“For the Government to assert that all such proceeding must be kept secret flies in the face of the overarching principle that this is the public’s money and the public has a right to know any matter that concerns the improper handling of its money.“So the Minister should stop trying to cover this matter up and show the public that the Government has the testicular fortitude to hold those accountable for breaches of Financial Instructions that exist solely for the protection of the people’s money.”The Opposition politicians said Financial Instructions have been breached in three items in Section 2.9, which state: “A Government employee may be surcharged, on the direction of the Minister of Finance, if he:n Is or was responsible for any improper payment of public money or for any payment of money which is not duly vouched for;n Is responsible for exceeding appropriated estimate’s limits;n Failed to ensure that the internal controls necessary to protect the departments assets are followed on a routine basis.”Responding to Ms Matthews’ comments yesterday, Governor Sir Richard Gozney repeated his disapproval for the way FBT was handled. He said the application of Financial Instructions is a matter for Government.“I support the Auditor General’s effort to draw public attention to the need for clear accountability by those who spend the taxpayers’ money,” said the Governor.“I stick to my view that the Faith-Based Tourism consultancy was a rum affair.“Implementation of the TCD building project was flawed, as the Auditor General’s Special Report and the Public Accounts Committee made clear.“The application of Financial Instructions is a matter for Government, not Government House, and I applaud the Premier and Finance Minister’s efforts to tighten up, quite radically, the existing procedures.”Dr Brown and Mr Curtis both deny former United Bermuda Party leader Wayne Furbert’s claim FBT was used as a method of getting cash to Mr Curtis as a thank you gesture.Mr Telemaque has said MPs approved increases to the total allocated funding for the TCD initiative in four successive years.Meanwhile, a petition was yesterday launched for a Royal Commission of Inquiry in response to The Royal Gazette’s reports on the Auditor General’s comments. That petition states: “Bermuda’s Auditor General Heather Matthews believes nobody has the fortitude to punish Government officials alleged to have allowed taxpayers’ money to go to waste in the Ewart Brown administration.“Ms Matthews said, ‘The Government’s Financial Instructions are and always have been clear about consequences for non-compliance. Unfortunately, no one appears to have the fortitude to mete out the penalties/surcharge as a result of non-compliance.’“In July this year, the Public Accounts Committee said there was specific intent at the highest level of Dr Brown’s Ministry that the TCD contract be given to Bermuda Emissions Control, a company partly owned by Dr Brown’s close friend Dennis Correia, regardless of Financial Instruction rules.“In his report into FBT last year, then-Auditor General Larry Dennis said Mr Curtis was awarded his first payment of $191,000 despite failing to meet the criteria for the disbursement of funds stipulated in his contract. We, as Bermudians and residents of Bermuda, demand greater scrutiny, transparency and accountability from our Government leaders and senior civil servants with regard to Bermuda’s public purse being managed with the utmost prudence and integrity.“We respectfully request a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the numerous and various allegations and implications of Government fiscal impropriety and corruption.”The petition, which had 12 signatures at 6pm yesterday, can be viewed at www.petitiononline.com/BdianRCI/petition.html.