THE chairman of the Bermuda College Board has been fired after he carried out an investigation into financial irregularities at the facility.

Nalton Brangman was given his marching orders yesterday from new Education Minister Neletha Butterfield after spending the last two months probing allegations of fraud at the College.

As a result of the dismissal, he will be unable to conclude his inquiry, which focused on the payment of alleged perks received by College president Charles Green.

In July the Bermuda Sun revealed that Dr. Green's membership of the exclusive Royal Bermuda Yacht Club was being paid for out of the public purse.

The newspaper quoted a senior Government official who said the arrangement had been a "mistake" by the former Board chairman, Government Senator Raymond Tannock.

Dr. Green was appointed by the Board in April 2004, when Sen. Tannock was at the helm. Details of his contract have never been disclosed, even though the College is publicly funded.

Following the revelations Mr. Brangman, who took over from Sen. Tannock in January, was ordered by the Public Accounts Committee to carry out an inquiry into the allegations.

But yesterday he informed the PAC that he had been forced to step down before the probe had been complete.

Speaking to the Mid-Ocean News, Mr. Brangman said he was not told why he had been dismissed so suddenly from the position, which is normally held for three years.

"We serve at the pleasure of the Minister who has the right at any time to change appointees, " he said.

He added that a letter from the Minister expressed appreciation for his work, but that it was now time for a change of personnel. He declined to comment on the details of his inquiry into financial irregularities.

But the dismissal has been condemned by a number of sources who claimed that Mr. Brangman may have been close to exposing financial irregularities that would have embarrassed both Dr. Green and Sen. Tannock.

The PAC chairman, Shadow Finance Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, said she was concerned with the timing of the sacking, which suggested that Government was attempting to derail the probe.

She said Mr. Brangman had been asked by the PAC to complete his inquiry by the end of August. He was then contacted at the beginning of this month, but told PAC officials that he needed more time.

"Mr. Brangman had been summoned before the Public Accounts Committee while they were doing their work on the report of the Auditor General, and had been requested to provide answers concerning the perks that the taxpayer had to pay to the president of the College, some of which had allegedly not been documented or provided for contractually," Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin said.

"We requested that the information be provided no later than August 31. When the answers were not forthcoming Mr. Brangman explained that he needed more time.

"He attempted to seek the necessary information from those who would be able to respond to such requests, and seemingly, as a result of his investigations in order to provide information to the PAC, he has been dismissed.

"It seems strange that, at the point at which the PAC was pushing for answers from Mr. Brangman, he should be relieved of his responsibilities. It certainly is cause for concern."

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin noted that, at best, a fresh inquiry will have to be launched under a new Board chairman.

Another source described Mr. Brangman's sacking as "a travesty".

"Clearly Mr. Brangman was getting in to stuff that neither the College president nor the former Board chairman wanted him getting in to. That would have been very embarrassing. But it's very sad that someone of Mr. Brangman's ability was removed because he was getting too close to things."

Last night the Education Minister dismissed the claims that the sacking was carried out in an attempt to hijack Mr. Brangman's investigation.

A Ministry spokesman said: "The Ministry of Education and Development can confirm that Minister Neletha Butterfield JP, MP is in the process of reviewing the composition of the boards under her purview.

"As such Nalton Brangman has been thanked for his service and relieved of the chairmanship of the Governing Board of the Bermuda College. A new chairman will be announced shortly.

"Changes are also anticipated with respect to the Board of Education and the National Training Board both of which have current vacancies. Minister Butterfield stressed that her decisions should not cause any unnecessary speculation other than that of a new Minister reviewing the composition of her Governing Boards."