Premier Ewart Brown was at "sixes and sevens" yesterday as he defended his use of bodyguards on overseas trips at the taxpayers' expense, according to Shadow Tourism Minister Michael Dunkley.

The Royal Gazette yesterday reported how Dr. Brown took two bodyguards with him to the Bayou Classic "bowl", an American college football match last November, costing the Bermuda public purse $4,700 in airfares alone.

That article was sourced in Parliamentary answers provided by Dr. Brown himself in response to questions from Opposition Leader Kim Swan.

In a variety of statements yesterday, Dr. Brown:

• said he was only following Bermuda Police Service instructions to take bodyguards overseas;

• blamed his technical officers for saying more bodyguards went with him than really did;

• said such matters would not be scrutinised in other countries;

• attacked this newspaper for "irresponsible reporting".

Dr. Brown's predecessor Alex Scott yesterday said Bermuda Police never advised him to travel with a bodyguard, and he never did.

Bermuda Police Service would not comment when asked if they'd advised Dr. Brown to travel with bodyguards.

Sen. Dunkley suspects the real reason the Premier travels with bodyguards is that he's trying to look important.

The former United Bermuda Party Leader said last night: "He's at sixes and sevens.

"He told Thaao Dill one thing in the morning, then he gave another reason in the House of Assembly which he hadn't even mentioned earlier.

"He's blaming his technical officers — not for the first time. I'm not buying any of it. It's spin. It's typical of the Premier. It's what he does to try to confuse people."

Meanwhile the Premier's press secretary Glenn Jones is continuing to blank questions about how Dr. Brown racked up a $320,000 spending bill on overseas trips in 2008/09, despite pledging to cut back during the economic crisis.

In his parliamentary responses, Dr. Brown stated he went to New Orleans for the Bayou Classic on November 28 to 30 last year, taking 'M. Thomas' and 'R. Glasford' with him at a total cost of $4,764 in airfare and $5,214 in total.

It later emerged these two men are the Premier's bodyguards.

In the run-up to yesterday's article, this newspaper repeatedly asked Mr. Jones why the bodyguards had gone to the Bayou Classic, and for confirmation who Mr. Thomas and Mr. Glasford are. Mr. Jones repeatedly failed to reply.

Speaking in a Ministerial Statement in the House of Assembly yesterday, Dr. Brown said: "It is alleged that two officers from the Bermuda Police Service accompanied me to an event in the United States.

"At the risk of deflating the Opposition's motion to adjourn intentions, I can advise this Honourable House that one officer accompanied me to the Bayou Classic.

"The error, admittedly made by my technical officers in the preparation of answers to the perennial Opposition questions about ministerial travel, was to include the name and ticket price of an officer who was scheduled to attend, fell ill at the last minute, was therefore unable to attend and did not do so.

"In his place another officer was assigned and did attend. This was an honest mistake of accounting and an oversight which has been addressed.

"A revised answer will be filed in this Honourable House before this session ends.

"It is simply not a proper use of Parliamentary time to press on matters which in every jurisdiction are not the subject of such scrutiny and which form part of what is expected for the head of State or the head of Government."

Dr. Brown later went on ZBM to accuse The Royal Gazette of failing to research its article properly.

In fact, given that Mr. Jones has ignored seven separate requests for clarification, we have been forced to rely on information provided directly by the Premier.

Also yesterday, Dr. Brown told Hott 107.5 the Police had advised him he needed bodyguards, adding in the House statement: "I do not assign security for myself and I do not nominate who attends when and where.

"Security locally and overseas is assigned to me with the consent of the Commissioner of Police and based on an assessment conducted by the Bermuda Police Service."

Asked whether this was the case, Bermuda Police Service replied: "As a core practice the Bermuda Police Service does not comment on security matters that pertain to governmental officials. This includes the Premier of Bermuda."

Mr. Scott, who was replaced by Dr. Brown as Premier three years ago, said: "Did I take bodyguards with me when I travelled? The answer is no.

"The Police never advised that I take a bodyguard when travelling.

"However, on occasions when in the Caribbean as guest of the various governments, Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis (in particular) a car, driver and armed Police officer was provided for my security.

"When I travelled to the UK and the US we were required to make our own transportation arrangements, which did not include a bodyguard.

"It should be noted that the Bermuda Police Service use a 'threat assessment evaluation' to determine the level of security that a Premier receives from time to time."

As well as Bayou Classic, taxpayers paid to send bodyguards with the Premier to an Oprah Winfrey event in New York; Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C.; Caricom in New York; two events in Turks in Caicos; US President Barack Obama's inaugural ceremony; New York Mets promotion.

The Premier refuses to say how he and his team spent $53,000 on ground transport alone during the fiscal year, and whether he stuck to his pledge to travel coach class for short trips and spend carefully while overseas.

Sen. Dunkley took issue with Dr. Brown's claim that such issues did not warrant scrutiny.

"It's absolute nonsense," he said, pointing out that in the US and UK such matters are routinely and intensely scrutinised.