Former Attorney General Larry Mussenden has hit back at accusations he abused his authority by allowing a controversial charitable organisation set up by the Premier's wife to bypass accountability regulations.

Wanda Brown founded the Tourism Helps Everyone (T.H.E.) in a bid to raise cash for the Bermuda Music Festival ? and applied to the Charities Commission for the organisation to be registered as a charity.

Last week the Mid-Ocean News quoted a source from the Charities Commission as stating that an application for charitable status would have been rejected but because Mrs. Brown was the head of the organisation, Charity Commission members found themselves in "a difficult situation" and instead referred the matter to then-Attorney General and Government Senator Mr. Mussenden.

The paper claimed Mr. Mussenden subsequently ruled that T.H.E. did not need to apply for charitable status, even though it was soliciting the public for cash.

In a media statement Mr. Mussenden said a small team of lawyers drafted a legal opinion after a request from the Ministry of Health and Family Services and that opinion was discussed with him.

He stated that the opinion dealt with the sole issue of whether the Foundation could be registered as a charity under the Act and no other question or issue.

And he challenged the Mid-Ocean News to print the legal opinion in full for the public to judge.

"At no time did I ever attempt to influence the legal opinion of the Crown Counsel who worked on the matter for any political purpose.

"I refute the allegation by an unnamed source that the legal advice was 'inappropriate, an abuse of power and lacked any understanding of the non-profit sector'.

"At no time while I was the Attorney-General do I recall any Minister, MP or member of the public ever attempting to influence any Crown Counsel or me for political purposes in settling a legal opinion.

"People who know me, know very well that I would never entertain such conduct."

Mr. Mussenden has threatened to sue the paper and the reporter if he doesn't get a front page apology.

He also claimed the paper had not tried to contact him at places where he would be.

Mid-Ocean Editor Tim Hodgson said: "We did make attempts to contact Mr. Mussenden and we are assessing his letter."