Former Auditor General Dan Duguay yesterday angrily rejected accusations by Premier McKeeva Bush that the ex-official was ”a cowboy”, saying the remarks were “inappropriate and uncalled for”, and threatened to compromise the office.

Current Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick, while declining to comment on the charges, said he too “did not enjoy” being accused of disrespect by the premier.

“In the end, it’s up to the premier what he wants to say. I would simply point to the statement by the governor back in August,” Mr Swarbrick said.

At a Friday morning meeting in the Legislative Assembly, Mr Bush lamented to the Public Accounts Committee that Mr Swarbrick had failed to treat him with sufficient respect, warning him about phrasing in his reports.

On 26 August, Governor Duncan Taylor asked Mr Bush to “show restraint” after the premier called the Mr Swarbrick “a hitman”, charging him with “seeking headlines” in the wake of a critical 23 August report about problems with government procurement systems.

“The Auditor General has to be careful with his phraseology,” Mr Bush told the five-member committee, examining the Auditor General’s report on abortive 2010 government efforts to borrow $155 million from New York financier Cohen & Company.

“I don’t appreciate that phraseology. He did not even call me ‘Mister’,” the premier said, nonetheless saving his wrath for Mr Duguay.

“I thought with the departure of the last cowboy that things would be a little better,” he went on, referring to Mr Swarbrick’s predecessor, whose contract was not renewed in 2009 after a series of reports critical of Mr Bush.

Friday was not the first time Mr Bush assailed the former Auditor General, Mr Duguay said “but I never had a chance to defend myself.

“I certainly did take it as an insult. It’s terrible that the premier should carry on like that. It’s not on. It’s not appropriate. It’s totally uncalled for. The premier was way out of line,” he said.

“It’s important that people support the Auditor General. He is there to be proactive and to support accountability and transparency. If Mr Bush wants to stop criticism, he should stop doing things that draw a critical response.

“People should realise,” Mr Duguay emphasised that such remarks may inhibit officials, meaning people “are not getting the best” from their
civil servants.

“Auditors General are there to protect accountability. To criticise me and the current Auditor General, and try to shut us down with the things he has said, well, it’s just wrong,” Mr Duguay concluded.

Mr Taylor in August said it was “unacceptable” for Mr Bush “to respond by making personal attacks on the Auditor General and his staff.

“These are very serious accusations to make: I have seen no evidence to justify them. I believe that the Auditor General and his staff have acted in a responsible, objective and professional manner, as I would expect of all Civil Servants,” he said. “I have spoken with the Honourable Premier and made my concerns known to him. I have urged him to show restraint.”

Mr Taylor was off-island on Monday, scheduled to return today. The Office of the Governor declined to comment further, however, saying only that previous statement remained the official view.

“I am not going to respond,” Mr Swarbrick told iNews yesterday. “It is unusual. I didn’t enjoy it.”