Shadow Finance Minister David Burt has been issued with a warning to stop repeating allegations that he was offered a bribe by Premier Craig Cannonier or face legal action.

A Government source confirmed that the Cease and Desist letter advising Mr Burt that legal action will be taken if he repeats the allegations, was delivered to him yesterday.

Mr Burt first made the allegations in the House of Assembly last Friday.

He claimed that, during a private meeting with the Premier last December, Mr Cannonier had suggested that Mr Burt’s IT company could be in line for a Government contract if the Shadow Minister was prepared to support a plan to ditch a promised referendum on gaming in return.

“The language that he used was very clear,” Mr Burt told MPs. “In soliciting my support for bypassing the referendum, he offered to give my company an IT contract with the money saved from the referendum to develop the absentee balloting system for the parliamentary registrar’s office.”

Under Parliamentary regulations, MPs are protected from charges of slander and are free to make claims without fear of prosecution, although Mr Burt repeated the allegations on a Sunday night radio programme, when he did not enjoy such privilege.

Yesterday Mr Burt maintained that he was speaking the truth and “welcomed” a lawsuit.

In a Facebook post he wrote: “This is getting interesting. Let me say this, it is impossible to defame someone if your statements are true.

“I know what I heard as I was there, and I will go to my grave and/or the poorhouse to defend my right to speak truth to the country of my birth and to the constituents I represent.

“I do not fear a lawsuit, I welcome it, as I’m happy to speak under oath as to what was said to me, without fear of contradiction.

“I am Bermudian — and this is our future that you are messing with — come clean and stop trying to silence me with your legal team. Come clean with the people of this country or resign.”

In a later post he added: “I have no fear in speaking to anyone as to what transpired, in Parliament, Under Oath, on the TV, or on the Radio.”

Mr Cannonier has so far not responded directly to Mr Burt’s allegations, although a spokesman said he will address the media on the issue later today.

Responding to questions from The Royal Gazette last night, Mr Burt said the public could “draw their own conclusion as to the silence of the Premier”.

He added: “The Premier doesn’t need to respond to what I said in the House about the contract offer — I know what took place in the meeting and I stand by my comments.

“I raise it as it corroborates what the Opposition leader said and it establishes what may be a pattern of behaviour.

“What the Premier does need to respond to is the question that I asked him in Parliament on Friday — has he met with or spoken to Mr Nathan Landow or anyone on Mr Landow’s team at anytime since December 13, 2013?

“In addition, the Premier should also tell the country why he neglected to inform Parliament that his private business partner was part of a Government delegation to Washington DC on what he termed a Government ‘Exchange of Information’ trip that took place 11 months ago.

“If the Premier has nothing to hide, he should then immediately come clean with the full and complete nature of his relationship, and the relationship of his private business partner, with Mr Nathan Landow.

“Bermuda’s economic situation is too delicate for our future to be put at risk by members of the Government who may be seeking to profit from any new Integrated Resort Development.

“If the RFP process is tainted, then any potential development may be derailed by lengthy legal challenges, which is not something that the country can afford.

“The Premier needs to stop deflecting and answer the questions so that the country can have confidence in their Government.

“His unwillingness to answer legitimate questions is creating doubt in his Government at a time when this country needs stable leadership.”