A Customs Officer testifying in the trial of cricket star Dean Minors was accused of lying by defence attorney John Perry Q.C. during yesterday's court session.

And Mr. Perry suggested that Edward Lambert "embellished" his written statements to Police with comments that Minors never said and questions the officer never asked, when Minors, on trial for alleged drug importation, was detained at the airport on January 1, 2001.

Mr. Lambert endured a second day of intense cross examination by Mr. Perry, who tried to establish why the officer never made an official record of events until February 2, more than a month after Minors was stopped.

He also argued that his client never admitted to purchasing an unassembled dresser drawer - which contained several packages of cannabis stuffed into four panels.

Minors, 32, has pleaded not guilty to charges of importation and possession with intent to supply cannabis, and was arrested after arriving at the airport.

However, he alleges that his long time friend and fellow St. George's Cup Match cricketer Greg Foggo - who was in Florida the same time as Minors - asked him to bring the dresser drawer back to Bermuda.

The seven woman, five man jury also heard that popular cricketer Herbie Bascome also had a part to play in the alleged conspiracy, according to Mr. Perry.

Meanwhile, Mr. Perry questioned why Mr. Lambert's second account on June 18 - as part of the officer's continued investigation - was never preceded with the words "this is in addition to the statement I recorded on February 2".

Mr. Perry suggested that the officer's two accounts of the events were inconsistent and his credibility could not be relied on.

But Mr. Lambert countered that it was his method to record the events in separate parts because there was an ongoing investigation and the inclusion of the routine questions was not always standard practise.

"The activities on January 1 are included in the February 2, statement," Officer Lambert said.

"Do you have any external notes that aided you in making your June 18 statement?" Mr. Perry asked.

"No," Mr. Lambert replied.

"Isn't it your practise that when you make a further statement, you indicate that you are adding to it?" Mr. Perry asked.

"Yes, but I've done statements before and never done that," Mr. Lambert replied.

"I suggest that you are confused, because you made the statement in one fell swoop," Mr. Perry said.

"No, that's incorrect," Mr. Lambert said.

Mr. Perry also wondered why there was no mention of the "standard questions" about the purchase of the box that Mr. Lambert said he asked Minors.

"Why is that not in your first statement?" Mr. Perry asked.

"Because I didn't think it was necessary to record it," Mr. Lambert replied.

"I'm suggesting that you embellished your evidence by including that he purchased the box from Walmart - that's what you have done," Mr. Perry said. "Mr. Lambert, you have plain lied - you lied in the June 18 statement."

"That's not correct," Mr. Lambert replied. "I have not lied about the events that have taken place - I signed what I know is true and I took an oath before I came to this court."

"So what, Mr. Lambert - isn't it correct that it was six months after the event that we find any mention of the purchase of the box?" Mr. Perry asked.

"That's correct - but both of my statements refer to events I was involved in from January 1," he said.

The case resumes today before Assistant Justice Archibald Warner.

Vinette Graham Allen and Graveney Bannister appear for the Crown, while Venous Telford appears with Mr. Perry for Minors.