An Opposition MP says the announcement of an extended lease of 70 years for Coco Reef Resort is "audacious" considering Government failed to answer parliamentary questions on it just two months ago.

Shadow Justice Minister John Barritt lambasted the move at a town hall meeting held by the United Bermuda Party on Tuesday night.

He said it was a prime example of a lack of accountability and transparency by Government.

"Government refused to respond to Parliamentary questions on February 17, when we asked questions about the terms of the lease," he said. "We also asked them to table the lease, and they refused."

Mr. Barritt said the Opposition had noted that the Bermuda College Annual Report, tabled in the House of Assembly in February, stated the lease had been renegotiated.

"There were no details," he said. "There is no information, there are no answers, and then today it comes out they have extended the lease to 120 years. That's an exceptionally long time.

"The people of this Country need to be told all of the terms, and to make an assessment of whether they had a good deal or not."

He said: "This is a classic example in my view of how not to run this Country."

Bermuda College board Chairman Sen. Walton Brown this week said the lease for the land had been extended from 50 years to 120.

Negotiations have also altered other aspects of the original 2003 lease.

Shadow Education Minister Grant Gibbons tabled parliamentary questions in February asking if the lease had been renegotiated and what the terms were. He was told it did not fall under parliamentary scrutiny as the land is owned by the Board of Governors and may lease all or part of its property without consulting Parliament.

This week Dr. Gibbons demanded that the full lease be tabled in the House of Assembly. He called the extension "shameful".

Dr. Gibbons said Government's refusal to answer the parliamentary questions made no sense: "Obviously this runs counter to section two of the Bermuda College Act which requires the Minister to approve any lease of College property and thereby is subject to Parliamentary scrutiny."

He added: "The Ministry explanation also flies in the face of recent precedent as the Public Accounts Committee, following the Auditor General's critical Report on the 2003 Lease, has held a number of meetings over the last few years looking into the lease arrangements — particularly payment of shared utilities and issues related to infrastructure between the Co and Coco Reef — and these have resulted in PAC reports to the House.

"The lease arrangements (and) rental income have a direct bearing on Coco Reef — and these have resulted in PAC reports to the House on the College's annual funding which is primarily allocated from the Legislature and debated annually to the tune of some $18 million.

"In addition, the Legislature has debated motions brought on the lease issue. The Ministry's explanation doesn't hold up as a justification to refuse to answer the questions."

Last week this newspaper quoted Coco Reef owner John Jefferis denying he signed a sweetheart deal with Government in 2003. He said he was saving Government $1 million a year because the hotel used to run at a serious loss.

After winning the tender, Mr. Jefferis was able to renegotiate the terms he had offered the lease doubled from 21 years to 50 while the rent to Government was reduced.

A 2004 Auditor General's report recommended the lease should be retendered because it was "considerably more beneficial" to Mr. Jefferis than the tender document specified.

Sen. Brown said this week that the new lease means the College (and Government) will retain ownership of all the property.

He said: "The lease was extended to a total of 120 years and that was done to ensure that the lease back units could be sold. No one was going to purchase a unit for the 43 years remaining."

Mr. Jefferis plans to break ground on 66 lease back villas this year, which owners will lease back to the hotel for six months of the year for the first five years.

Mr. Barritt described the announcement of a new lease as "audacious and outrageous".

Commenting on Coco Reef, he Mr. Barritt said: "Now we find out the whole thing has been renegotiated again. If you're going to change the terms of the lease dramatically, wouldn't it be better going back out to tender to see what is out there?"