A King Edward VII Memorial Hospital insider has said ousted engineer Neil Crane had been made a scapegoat for spiralling building costs.

And Hospitals Board Raymonde Dill was labelled a little dictator revelling in a power vacuum.

Mr. Crane's resignation -- which follows that of chief financial officer Katherine Symonds in the summer -- has left the hospital short of senior managers with the top post of Chief Executive Officer still vacant six months after Sheila Manderson's departure.

The source said that neither Ms Symonds or Mr. Crane could be blamed for building costs coming in over budget.

"The financial problems are a result of a new wing. The plant is old and needs maintaining and this added to the costs of the new wing.'' But the source said: "Everything costs more in the long run. Mr. Crane has been made a scapegoat by Mr. Dill who is power hungry - he's a little dictator.'' Shadow health minister Kim Young, weighing in on the issue last night, said she was angry that Health Minister Nelson Bascome had failed to explain to the House of Assembly why Mr. Crane had left his post. On Friday night's debate Mr. Bascome had admitted that there were staffing problems at the hospital and he had remarked upon poor management.

Mrs. Young said: "I think Mr. Bascome should come out and clear up this matter about why Mr. Crane resigned.

"We need to know so people can see what's going on at the hospital and what they are doing about solving the problem.

And she said it was time to end the power vacuum at the hospital. She said: "There is confusion with people not knowing who to report to.

"It's important to have stable management - Mr. Dill should not be running the hospital - he doesn't have any qualifications in hospital administration.

Mr. Bascome should call in the board and ask them to get it resolved. There is a rumble of discontent.'' She attacked the ongoing confusion about who was to be appointed to the post of Chief Executive Officer.

She said: "They knew a year ago that the post would be becoming vacant. We heard there was a Bermudian in the picture but they were lacking experience in one aspect.

"In all the length of time we've been waiting they could have helped that person get that experience.'' Mr. Crane said he had been forced to resign or be sacked after the hospital board said they were unhappy with the way he had managed projects and that some were over budget.

Insider charges Hospital brass seeking scapegoats However the hospital had claimed he had resigned and they had accepted this and that he had never been under investigation.

Mr. Crane, who has 20 years of experience in hospital engineering, and was in a top post at Canada's largest hospital before being headhunted to come to Bermuda, is now suing the hospital over the dismissal.

Mr. Crane's lawyer said no decision had been made over whether to press ahead with their lawsuit against ZBM after they issued an apology as the first item of Friday night's bulletin for making allegations on a earlier broadcast.

Mrs. Juliana Jack said: "We are entitled to both an apology and damages -- we haven't made a decision yet.''