Major progress has been made in an investigation into alleged perks enjoyed by the president of Bermuda College at taxpayers’ expense, according to the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Patricia Gordon-Pamplin told The Royal Gazette <$>last night that her report on claims that the college’s Board of Governors did not approve the payment of Dr. Charles Green’s membership of an exclusive private members’ club or his telephone and electricity bills would be tabled in the House of Assembly very soon.

A meeting of the PAC held yesterday afternoon went on for more than two hours and heard evidence from former college board chairman Nalton Brangman and the college’s chief financial and operations officer Lloyd Christopher.

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin said she could not disclose what was discussed but added: “We have made major progress with respect to tying up the ends that will help us to produce the report.

“The major challenge that we have is that the report has to be written and then each of the committee members has to approve it. It can’t be a partisan report. I don’t think it’s going to be difficult because we have great participation by the members of the committee. I was hoping to have it filed tomorrow (today) but I think hopefully it will be within two weeks.”

The committee began probing the college’s finances following criticism in the Auditor-General’s annual report for 2005 and after hearing rumours about the president’s alleged perks.

Mr. Brangman was asked to look into concerns that Dr. Green’s membership of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the payment of his utility bills by the college was not part of his employment contract.

But he was sacked by then-Education Minister Neletha Butterfield while still gathering information.

In a report he delivered to the PAC — which was leaked to this newspaper last month — Mr. Brangman claimed the publicly-funded college “knowingly” spent taxpayers’ cash without complying with the Government’s financial instructions.

Dr. Green, speaking to The Royal Gazette <$>from Arizona yesterday, said he had given evidence to the PAC several weeks ago.

He said he told members that the yacht club membership was not in his contract but was approved by Mr. Brangman’s predecessor, former PLP Senator Raymond Tannock.

He added that telephone bills paid for by the college were for a business line at his grace-and-favour Paget home, Shamrock Cottage, and that he pays for a personal line himself.

He agreed that the college footed the bill for his electricity but said that was part of the housing provision agreed in his contract.

Mr. Tannock has previously stated that the College Board gave permission for the club membership and that payment of the utility bills was part of the president’s contract.

Mr. Brangman has so far refused to comment on his findings but stressed yesterday that he was not the only person asked to provide information to the PAC and that Mr. Christopher and Dr. Green were also involved.

He said: “It was never a Brangman report. This was the Bermuda College report as requested by the Public Accounts Committee and was compiled by the chief financial and operations officer and the chairman by agreement.

“It does not reflect a personal attempt by Nalton Brangman to do anything to or about the college.”