Opposition leader Michael Dunkley said he met a drug dealer in his office because he had information on an operation to bring marijuana into Bermuda worth more than $3 million.

Mr. Dunkley was speaking after a video was posted on YouTube by former Police narcotics chief Larry Smith who claimed that detectives considered charging him in connection with a drugs conspiracy.

He told The Royal Gazette he was happy to answer any questions about his involvement in bringing Michael Madeiros and Steven Flood to justice for importing $3 million worth of marijuana into the Island in a Dunkley's Dairy container.

This newspaper yesterday quoted a former senior Police officer who said Mr. Dunkley was never a suspect and Mr. Smith, head of Bermuda Police Service's narcotics division from 1999 to 2006, never mentioned his name as one to his superiors.

The United Bermuda Party Leader said: "I have always opened myself to assist in any way. The case would have never moved forward without the help of myself and the staff of the company.

"I realise that by me getting involved in the investigation in helping it would appear to some people maybe I was trying to cover my tracks but I believe strongly in the principles of justice.

"I'm happy to answer any questions anybody has at any time because I realise that as a public official I can't hide behind things."

Progressive Labour Party chairman David Burt has described Mr. Dunkley as "a desperate politician who is now visibly in a state of panic" over allegations contained in the video on YouTube.

Mr. Burt claimed that the Opposition Leader was using tactics to avoid dealing Mr. Smith's online claim that detectives considered charging him in connection with a drugs conspiracy.

Mr. Burt said Mr. Dunkley's "scurrilous attempt" to link the ten-minute video featuring Mr. Smith, posted on YouTube at the weekend by somebody calling themselves Son of Bermuda, with the PLP leadership was "evidence of a desperate politician who is now visibly in a state of panic".

He added: "We note that in his public comment to date in the Son of Bermuda revelation, Mr. Dunkley used tactics that again avoided dealing with the fact that the narcotics division discussed the possibility of charging Dunkley with conspiracy to import a controlled substance; it is also a fact that the former head of narcotics felt there was evidence to charge Mr. Dunkley with obstruction of justice.

"It is now the UBP Leader's signature modus operandi to use smear as a first resort when faced with an inconvenient truth."

Mr. Smith says in the video — which has now been viewed by thousands of Internet viewers — that Madeiros and Flood lived in property belonging to Dunkley's Dairy and that he encountered a well-known drug dealer in Mr. Dunkley's office.

Mr. Dunkley said the two men did live in company apartments, as is the norm for his employees, but were asked to leave once charged with conspiracy to import drugs. They were both eventually jailed for ten years.

The UBP Leader added: "I did have a well-known drug dealer in my office and the reason why is because this gentleman approached me after the incident and said he could give me some information on this case. I talked to him and reported that to Police."

He added that Mr. Smith was never in his office at the same time as the man.

Mr. Dunkley said he contacted Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith with worries about how the case was being handled and to discuss allegations that the suspects had been mistreated by Police.

"I just wanted justice to be done in a fair way," he said. "If people want me to take a lie-detector test I'll show up tomorrow."

Mr. Smith, who now lives in Florida, has refused via e-mail to answer questions from this newspaper about his video and the allegations it contains.

• At a PLP rally in St. George's on Tuesday night, party member Charles Richardson said The Royal Gazette had accused him of writing the script and filming the video.

The lawyer's name was in fact linked to the video on a local website and he was asked for comment and Mr. Richardson denied any involvement.