Dear Sir,

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire! Who cares where the “order came from”. What really matters here is accountability!

The banking industry, like must industries, is regulated by requiring a licence and compliance to operate. Local banks are licensed by the Bermuda Monetary Authority to conduct banking business locally, and in turn supervised by the BMA to ensure compliance with local and international laws (conventions). Failure to comply will lead to the loss of the legal right to continue to do business.

Unfortunately, the likes of Derrick Burgess still permeate our society. Again, his comments of late in the House of Assembly demonstrate reluctance to accept real change.

We, Bermuda, can no longer be seen as a jurisdiction that “helps solve other people’s problems” locally or internationally at the expense of due diligence. We are operating in a global marketplace and we must all do our part to ensure we uphold the highest standards of due diligence. Anyone whose actions demonstrate an unwillingness to comply must be held accountable.

Remember, Mr Burgess, respect starts with you! We need the international business community more than they need us, especially someone like you who appears to have lost his way!

The politics of “little White boys and Black boys” are over. Accountability is now the name of the game. Conniving opportunists relishing rewards unethically procured through immoral obsession and narcissism must be exposed and dealt with accordingly.

The One Bermuda Alliance was weak and did not address the need for corruption legislation, and the Progressive Labour Party is avoiding it at all cost.

DAVID J. TAVARES

Smith’s