Immigration Minister David Burch has called for Bob Richards to resign after he likened a plan for expatriate ID cards to "Nazi Germany", claiming that one of the Opposition MP's own companies was set to make $3 million from the scheme.

Sen. Burch accused Mr. Richards of a "public display of dishonesty" because he attacked the plan in a press conference and in Parliament on Friday, without disclosing that Bermuda Information Technology Systems Ltd. (BITS), of which he is a director and president, was involved in the project.

The Shadow Finance Minister hit back last night, arguing that his company "has no agreement in place to produce immigration ID cards" and claiming Sen. Burch was motivated by "political mischief". Opposition Leader Kim Swan said he backed Mr. Richards to the hilt.

The row was triggered after Mr. Richards denounced the ID card scheme as smacking "very heavily of Nazi Germany" and being "an offence to right-thinking people" on Friday.

Sen. Burch, who in announcing the scheme the day before said it was "not designed as a Gestapo tactic", told the media yesterday that Mr. Richards' company was contracted to help update the work permit system in order to enable credit-card sized permits to be issued.

"It will most likely come as a surprise to some that one of the firms that stand to receive almost $3 million from this project is none other than one controlled by Mr. E.T. Bob Richards — the Opposition Shadow Minister of Finance.

"Yes, you heard me correctly — he who characterises his work as Nazi tactics. Now, the standards by which I operate would suggest that, even at the lowest levels of honesty, fairness and integrity, would demand that one would at least first declare their interest."

He said that due to Mr. Richards' "public display of dishonesty" he would be ordering a review of BITS' contract, with a view to cancelling it. "It is inconceivable to me to imagine anyone retaining the services of a consultant who has so publicly compromised any working relationship. It is even more astounding that they would criticise their own work."

Sen. Burch said "this sad example of political duplicity and dishonesty" meant Mr. Swan should demand Mr. Richards' resignation.

"It is unthinkable that a member of the House of Assembly, a Shadow Minister, an elected representative whose role is to ensure accountability from the front benches of the Opposition, would berate a Government initiative in public and secretly profit from its implementation."

Mr. Richards told The Royal Gazette that BITS was working for the Department of Immigration but was not producing the ID cards and that he heard about the scheme only through reading this newspaper.

"There is no hypocrisy here," he said. "I don't feel that there is any kind of conflict. As far as I'm concerned it's a non-issue."

He added: "I am not a computer programmer and am not privy to the detailed specifications of the work BITS is involved with and neither should I be.

"My political views have no connection to the legitimate business activities of companies in which I have an interest, an interest I have already publicly declared."

The UBP MP explained in a statement late yesterday that BITS had been contracted to build a system which compiles and manages data that can be used by third party software systems to print ID cards.

"The most BITS can gross from the four-year contract, which involves a US partner, is $300,000 before charges for salaries, taxes, pensions and overhead," he said.

"In the smoke and mirrors of Sen. Burch's attack, it is important to note that my arguments on the floor of the House were strongly against the production of ID cards — arguments that would work against BITS, if it had anything to do with ID cards."

Mr. Swan said: "Sen. Burch made the bizarre insinuation that Mr. Richards was in a conflict of interest when, in fact, the arguments he made in the House of Assembly last Friday would work against the alleged interest.

"I consider the incident proof positive that Mr. Richards is above reproach, that his private connections do not influence his public responsibilities or the expression of his views as to what is best for Bermuda."

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