* Colleagues of a Policeman at the centre of a probe into the death of his girlfriend yesterday dismissed his version of the mystery suicide.

Officers who arrived at the Harvey Hill Road, Smith's , apartment shortly after the body of former Royal Gazette sub-editor, Elizabeth Cadell, was discovered told an inquest yesterday it was obvious the woman had been dead far longer than boyfriend, Tony Bukhari, claimed.

One officer who answered the emergency 911 call also said that Bukhari's behaviour was "inappropriate.'' And a third officer said Bukhari implied that his colleagues might set him up and he would be blamed for the death.

Bukhari, 31, in statements to detectives, insisted the couple had sex at lunchtime on the day of her death. He said he left the apartment at about 1.30 p.m. and called Police to report her overdose after discovering her body when he returned just before 3.p.m.

But Police Sgt. Philip Lewis told Senior Coroner Will Francis that, when he first arrived at the scene, the behaviour of his colleague aroused his suspicion.

He added: "I had a brief conversation with Bukhari as to when he had last seen her alive and, having felt the body myself, I became highly suspicious.

"Although I'm not a doctor, she had obviously been dead for a while. I lifted her right foot and the whole body came off the ground and lifted up - she was as stiff as a board and cold and clammy.

"I tried to find out what basically had happened and from the report I got I was curious as to certain things.

"He said he had spoken to the woman at 1.45 p.m. but from what I saw when I felt the body, it just didn't gel.'' Officers described how they found Bukhari in the baking hot bedroom of their home kneeling by his girlfriend's naked body apparently feeling for a pulse.

But paramedic Irven Simmons told the inquest: "It was quite obvious she had been dead for some time.

"I couldn't find a pulse, the body was cold to the touch and showed signs of rigor mortis and there was no heart activity.

"The room was untidy and clothes were all over the place.'' Pc Dennis Astwood, another officer to arrive at the scene shortly after the alarm was raised, said he heard a furious Bukhari say "the bitch unplugged the phone.'' He told the court: "I thought his behaviour was inappropriate. He didn't exhibit any emotion -- although as he was being escorted away from the body, I understand he began sobbing.'' Pc Nicholas Pedro, who comforted Mr. Bukhari outside the apartment immediately after the gruesome discovery, said that Bukhari was initially crying and shaking.

"But there was a marked change after a certain point,'' Pc Pedro said.

"Just before he asked me to get a Dictaphone out of the house the crying and shaking suddenly stopped and he became calm.'' "He said `I don't need those boys stitching me up for this when they hear that Dictaphone'''.

Pc Pedro added that Bukhari initially refused to give a statement to the Police, saying he wanted to wait a day.

Det. Sgt. Tracy Adams later said a search of the apartment failed to recover any Dictaphone. An answering machine tape was taken by Police but failed to provide any evidence.

Earlier the inquest heard from a top US pathologist how Bukhari's version of events "just didn't fit in with the medical evidence'' Police testify at inquest She said that Cadell must have died between 4 am and 10 am that day -- at the outside, more than three hours before Bukhari claimed he last saw her alive.

The couple began an affair shortly after Cadell arrived on the Island in 1990.

They became engaged last March but Bukhari later called off the wedding after his fiancee confessed to having an affair with a work colleague.

The former Policeman , whose contract with the Bermuda force expired last week, has been ordered to stay on the Island until the inquest is over.

Tony Bukhari in happier times