Opposition leader Marc Bean has failed to answer questions from The Royal Gazette concerning allegations he used threats in an attempt to persuade Government backbencher Nandi Outerbridge to resign.

The alleged threats took place during a conversation between the two politicians last July in the Opposition lounge in the House of Assembly. The meeting was recorded by Mrs Outerbridge on her cell phone.

Last Friday Mr Bean revealed the existence of a recording and claimed he had only requested the meeting in order to reassure Mrs Outerbridge that he would not raise a personal matter in the House of Assembly during Parliamentary debates. Mrs Outerbridge was the subject of a police investigation at the time, although no charges were ever brought.

“It was in July when you had an honourable member who went through some personal difficulties,” Mr Bean said.

“I got a call from that person’s husband, who begged me to make sure that the PLP does not attack her in Parliament. I told him straight I said ‘brother, one thing about me, anything to do with personal affairs, you will never see myself or the Progressive Labour Party attack anybody — we don’t do it like that,”

Explaining that he had been “trying to help her out”, Mr Bean added: “Even when we’re trying to help them, they’re trying to hurt us.”

But Premier Craig Cannonier, who has listened to the recording, disputed Mr Bean’s version of events, saying that the Opposition had made “many attempts” to get Government MPs to cross the floor.

“I can categorically say, with factual information, that one of our honourable members, under a very distressing situation, was encouraged to drop out or go to the other side, because of the circumstances that were going on,” Mr Cannonier added.

That claim was repeated by Mrs Outerbridge on Monday. Referring to the meeting, she said: “Mr Bean said many disgusting and disturbing things that, if heard, the people of Bermuda would see in a poor light. In addition, he said I would be attacked if I did not resign, as he could not control some of his other colleagues.”

Those claims were backed by Mr Cannonier last night.

“The Premier fully supports Mrs Outerbridge and her statements,” a spokesman for the Premier said.

Mr Bean did later acknowledge that he had made efforts to persuade Mrs Outerbridge to cross the floor, but made no mention of using any threats.

“I assured her that I would not attack her on principle — we’re all human beings and Nandi Davis was going through something no woman, regardless of her age, should be going through,” he said.

The Royal Gazette first e-mailed questions about Mrs Outerbridge’s allegations to a Progressive Labour Party spokesman on Tuesday. No response to that e-mail was received.

Yesterday morning this newspaper repeated its question in a further e-mail to which the spokesman replied: “The answers are on the tape the OBA refuses to release.”

The spokesman later said that he was waiting for “instructions from my leader”, but no further correspondence was received by The Royal Gazette by press time last night. Neither Mr Bean or the spokesman answered telephone call from this newspaper last night.