Former Attorney General Larry Mussenden was yesterday (Thurs) named the new chairman of the Board of Governors at beleaguered Bermuda College.

The ex-PLP Senator pledged at a press conference to deal with public concerns about the under-fire quango, which has hit the headlines repeatedly in recent weeks due to a string of allegations about financial mismanagement and perks apparently enjoyed by its president Charles Green.

Mr. Mussenden, a former student of the college and previous deputy chairman of the board, was asked what he would do to stem the flow of negative news stories. “I think perhaps that’s a question for the media,” he said. “It seems that the media has decided to make a lot of issues over what may be issues or may not be issues.”

The lawyer acknowledged that the public had concerns about the college and that he had discussed its future direction with Education Minister Randy Horton, who appointed him chairman. “I think that we have got work to do,” he said, adding that he would not be carrying out a “witch hunt” to find out who leaked information to this newspaper how the college was spending public funds.

“I look forward to a positive working relationship with the people of Bermuda and in particular with the media. Bermuda College plays an important role in the success of Bermuda.”

Mr. Horton told the media gathered at the Cabinet Office that he had tasked the new chairman with addressing questions about how the college handled its finances. “I have asked the new chairman to get in there and find out exactly what has happened and certainly we’ll know in due course,” he said. “I have asked the chairman of the board to go in and bring stability to the college.”

Mr. Mussenden is the fourth chairman this year of the Board of Governors. Former PLP Senator Raymond Tannock was still chairman at the start of 2006 but was replaced by Nalton Brangman, who was sacked nine months later while in the middle of an investigation into college spending ordered by the Government’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Mr. Brangman’s successor was former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith but she stood down after less than three weeks in the job.

Deputy chairman Pandora Wright has been acting chairman since the start of this month. Dr. Green was at the press conference, along with the college’s president-elect Duranda Greene, who takes over from him next summer.

He said the college would issue a statement about the allegations once an investigation being conducted by the Government’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was finished.

PAC chairman Patricia Gordon-Pamplin is expected to table her report in the House of Assembly next Friday. The probe has looked into claims that Dr. Green’s membership of a private members’ club and payment of his telephone and electricity bill from public funds was not approved by the board and that no cap was put on spending on renovations at his grace-and-favour home. Dr. Green denies any wrongdoing.