Andre Curtis’ acquittal on charges that he stole nearly $130,000 that was intended to be used to promote faith based tourism to Bermuda did not come as a complete surprise.The defence’s case that the Government contract engaging Mr Curtis was so poorly drafted that he could spend the money however he wished was always the weakness in the case. That does not mean that what happened was right, or that Mr Curtis should not be completely ashamed of his actions.The phrase “unethical, not illegal”, springs all too readily to mind. The fact that it occurred in a project that was supposed to promote religious values makes it all the more cynical.Still, the damage to Mr Curtis’ reputation is done, entirely as a result of his own admitted actions and failures to act.As Governor Sir Richard Gozney and the One Bermuda Alliance have both noted, the major fault still lies with the Tourism Ministry and the Government as a whole.The OBA is also right to point out that most of the breaches, from the failure to tender, to the lack of a contract, to the flaws in the eventual contract, were covered in Financial Regulations already.So while much of what Premier Paula Cox is proposing for better government is welcome, the OBA was right to say: “The point here is that people are the issue, not the rules. It is people who give meaning to rules. It is their actions that make them either real and relevant or fake and meaningless.”A great many mistakes were made in this case. Mr Curtis has had his day in court. But the politicians and civil servants who made the mistakes do not seem to have been held accountable. More to the point, the evidence in this case begs the question of how tightly drafted other contracts and projects have been. What targets and goals have been set? How is their performance measured?The lack of performance in Faith Based Tourism has been well publicised thanks to the efforts of MP Wayne Furbert, the media and the case itself. But how many other cases like this have slipped below the radar?What is needed is a full public review by the Auditor General or an independent inquiry to ensure that the Bermuda Government has received value for money in all consultancies and external contracts.If the Faith Based Tourism saga proves anything, it is that the biggest loser is the taxpayer.