companies and will allow justice to run its course, the Premier said last night.

Dr. Saul was responding to criticism by Alabama Senator Richard Shelby who claimed the Island's political leaders were helping to wrest control of an Island company away from its US backers.

"The dispute right now is between shareholders in a local company. I do not think that the Government should get involved,'' said the Premier.

"My current reading of this situation is that it is an internal corporate problem and the Government is not involved and will not get involved. It should be allowed to run its course,'' he added.

Last week Sen. Shelby addressed the US Senate claiming his constituents, the McDonald Group, were being unfairly treated in Bermuda.

He became embroiled in a court battle between the McDonald Group and the Bermuda Telephone Company over the control of Bermuda Cablevision.

The Group invested in Cablevision in 1987 and developed a deal where it was paid 60 percent of the profits as consultancy fees.

Later Telco bought shares in Cablevision and disputed the fee claiming it was in breach of a law saying an Island company must be 60 percent Bermudian owned.

Because of the court case the Bermuda Monetary Authority became involved and deferred a decision allowing the fees to be converted out of Bermudian dollars. The money was allowed to be moved out of Bermuda last week.

The Senator claimed the Bermuda Government was supporting Bermudians in their attempts to wrest control of Cablevision -- which Government has vehemently denied.

And it is understood the BMA's move to defer a decision is a routine matter when court cases crop up and has happened previously after independent legal advice is taken.

Sen. Shelby has raised the issue with the US State Department which is looking into the issue.

He is also demanding that a licence to begin laying a new telephone cable from the US to Bermuda be withheld until the McDonalds situation is resolved.

However that will affect predominantly US-owned TeleBermuda International LLC -- part of the TeleBermuda group which will operate telephones on the Island.

Last night a spokesman for the US State Department said: "We are aware of the situation and are looking into it. We heard about the case from different sources and people concerned about it.'' BERMUDA TO GET A `BREW PUB' EAT Bermuda to get a `brew pub' A Smith's Parish restaurant is set to get a new lease on life and in the process Bermuda will see the creation of its first brew pub.

The Hunt Club Tavern changed hands from original owner Richard Butz to David Littlejohn on July 24 and the new owner intends to make some changes to the South Shore "neighbourhood eatery''.

Mr. Littlejohn -- an avid home brewer for over three years -- said that besides small interior decoration changes and a minor revamping of the menu, his main objective was to install a brew pub on the site.

He said the idea of brew pubs -- restaurants with a bar that produced its own beer -- were sweeping across the US.

Mr. Littlejohn said a brewery would be placed on the restaurant's site in January -- following the granting of planning approval -- and would provide several different types of beer for on-site consumption only.