Patricia Gordon-Pamplin says she has evidence of a planned trip to New York involving politicians, including David Burt, the Premier.

“I would not have asked a question in the Throne Speech response if I did not have supporting evidence to show that such a trip had been planned,” the Opposition leader said.

“As far as my sources, I deem them to be reliable.”

Ms Gordon-Pamplin was replying to questions posed by The Royal Gazette about a purported planned trip Mr Burt, then Opposition leader, was going to take in June with Progressive Labour Party MP Zane DeSilva, and former independent MPs Mark Pettingill and Shawn Crockwell.

The matter resurfaced when it was mentioned by Ms Gordon-Pamplin in her Reply to the Throne Speech last Friday.

Pressed on what specific proof she had of the trip, Ms Gordon-Pamplin said yesterday: “People share information in confidence and, as such, I do not consider it to be appropriate to reveal the exact nature of what has been shared with me without permission.

“It was important to mention the issue as any matter that might impact future benefit to the country ought to be of interest to the electorate and they should know,” she said.

On Friday, Ms Gordon-Pamplin told MPs: “We will watch closely the developments of the questionable New York trip that was planned by an unlikely quartet with would-be gaming operators to determine the purpose of their meeting at the Four Seasons, and the benefit to Bermuda, if any.”

The alleged trip was set to take place the day after Mr Crockwell was found dead at his Hamilton Parish home.

Documents purporting to show confirmation of the group’s booking at the Four Seasons Hotel on June 11 were widely circulated online and on social media before the General Election on July 18.

On Monday, Acting Commissioner Paul Wright confirmed that an internal investigation into how the images had come to be released had been launched by the independent Police Complaints Authority.

“The Bermuda Police Service can confirm that complaints have been received that persons unknown within the BPS inappropriately disclosed the images,” Mr Wright said.

Responding during the Throne Speech debate, Mr Burt said: “There was no trip to meet with, as I quote, ‘would-be gaming operators’.

“It was a figment of the imagination of the One Bermuda Alliance and those persons of whom they wanted to put in the campaign.”

Mr DeSilva said: “The honourable Opposition leader has quoted something that was on social media. Or did she get it from a friend in the police force maybe? Or someone that had access to Mr Shawn Crockwell’s phone?”

Yesterday, Ms Gordon-Pamplin described those responses as puzzling.

“As I did not give any names in my Reply to the Throne Speech, I am puzzled by the defensive attitudes of Premier Burt and Minister DeSilva,” she said.

“Minister DeSilva will have to tell you to what he was referring concerning what the police could possibly have had access to. He alone can answer the question that he asked.”

Questions sent to Mr DeSilva regarding his comments during the debate period were not responded to by press time.