The board of governors of Bermuda College must take the “necessary steps” to recover more than $20,000 of taxpayers’ cash which was misspent by members of its executive, according to one of its former chairmen.

Nalton Brangman, who was sacked as chairman of the quango’s board of governors in September, told The Royal Gazette yesterday that the college was in “desperate need” of strong leadership following an investigation which uncovered money being spent on unapproved perks for college president Charles Green.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) released a report last week in which it strongly recommended that Dr. Green pay back the funds to the public purse.

Mr. Brangman said: “The recommendation of the committee is that he pay it back. The policy and procedures of the college say it shouldn’t have been spent in the first place. The board should take the necessary steps to have these funds returned.”

He said the board should also establish whether Dr. Green’s actions and those of the college’s chief financial and operations officer Lloyd Christopher — whose inability to do his job led to “compromised standards of fiscal responsibility”, according to the PAC — amounted to gross misconduct.

“If so, what action is the board prepared to take to rectify those actions?” asked Mr. Brangman.

He said he was “gravely concerned” that money which should have been spent on students was used to pay Dr. Green’s electricity bills and his membership of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

The PAC report recommended that Dr. Green return the $11,792 spent on club membership and expenses up to July this year plus the $8,255 spent on his personal electricity bills between March 2005 to May 2006, and any subsequent payments for either.

Mr. Brangman was disparaging of Dr. Green’s claim that the club membership was to help him raise funds for the college.

“There is no report of funds ever being raised,” Mr. Brangman said. “When I was chairman of the National Training Board I raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and never, ever visited the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. “My focus has always been, from day one, it’s about the students. This was using money that really should have been devoted to children.”

He also criticised a claim by former board chairman Raymond Tannock that the unchecked spending of about $400,000 on renovations to Shamrock Cottage, Dr. Green’s college-provided Paget home, was an investment. Mr. Brangman claimed that plans by Coco Reef Resorts to build a new hotel on the campus could lead to the cottage being knocked down to make way for an access road. The outline plans for the development do not show that and hotel owner John Jefferis could not be contacted for comment on it yesterday.

“That house and all that money will probably be bulldozed, so what children will net the benefit of that? “ said Mr. Brangman.

He added: “The college is in desperate need of critically strong and experienced leadership and I wish only the best to the present chairman, the next board, the Minister and the Government as they plan to move the best interests of Bermuda forward.

“The country needs the college to succeed as we now arrive at the plateau of 10,000 work permits in Bermuda. Until the college focuses on its core role it will continue to fail the community it is there to serve.”

Mr. Brangman was fired by former Education Minister Neletha Butterfield while investigating college spending on behalf of the PAC.

Former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith replaced him but stepped down after less than three weeks in the role. Former PLP Senator Larry Mussenden was appointed board chairman last month. He said on Friday that he was not aware that the PAC report had been released and had not seen a copy. Yesterday, he said: “I’m busy right now so I’ll have to get back to you.”

Dr. Green, who denies any wrongdoing, told this newspaper yesterday that he did not plan to comment on the report at all. Mr. Tannock, who may have approved some of the perks according to evidence given to the PAC, did not return a telephone call.