bitter power struggle following the controversial sacking of a member of staff.

At a rowdy Annual General Meeting of the Bermuda Society of Arts on Wednesday night the outgoing board of 11 members was all but re-elected despite an attempted coup by seven rebel members.

The rebel group was standing for election over last month's shock dismissal of the society's curator, Nancy Acton. Ms Acton was fired the day after she signed a new job contract.

In an open letter handed to members at the start of the meeting, the rebel group said: "We are concerned about the presentation of a new contract in bad faith and the improper and inhumane dismissal by a quorum of the governing body in the absence of the elected president and vice president.

The group also claimed that the governing body had failed to run the society -- a registered charity -- efficiently.

"We are concerned about what appears to be a lack of active fund raising and apparent over expenditures on advertising, the employment of a temporary person and bookkeeper and can only assume that financial difficulties lay ahead,'' the letter said.

"As our society is supposed to be a democratic organisation we are uncomfortable with the level of secrecy maintained at the offices and ask to be kept properly informed of such things as who our president is and who has left the governing body''.

The splinter group, backed by a vociferous portion of the membership, highlighted the fact that the charity's accounts had not been audited as an example of the board's incompetence.

Treasurer Scarlett Pottinger was left red-faced when it was revealed that the society's appointed auditor, chartered accountant Nisha Pedro, had only been given the society's financial statements just last week.

"We seem to have had a communication problem,'' Ms Pottinger said.

But after a tightly fought contest in which more than 100 members voted, just two of the rebel candidates -- Angela Gentleman and Grahame Rendell -- were voted in.

Board member Bruce Stuart was elected president while Manuel Palaccio, Clare Marshall and Scarlett Pottinger were all voted in as second vice president, secretary and treasurer respectively.

Last night newly elected vice president and alternative slate candidate Angela Gentleman said the new board would have to look into Ms Acton's sacking.

"I think that that is something that the board is morally obliged to look into,'' she said.

"Members have voiced their concerns and we cannot operate in a vacuum.'' But president Bruce Stuart said he did not think Ms Acton would be reinstated.

He refused to comment on the matter further because of a pending legal battle.

Ms Acton is now taking legal action against the society.

"We have just got a new board and everyone is willing to work together which is a good positive sign,'' Mr. Stuart said.

Man charged with fraud A man was charged in Magistrates' Court this week with conspiracy to defraud a local bank of more than $400,000.

Chukwudi Onwusah, 33, of Hendon, England, pleaded not guilty to conspiring "with others not known the court to defraud the Bank of Bermuda of $453,890.70 more or less''.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between October 11 1996 and February 3 1997.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis ordered Onwusah to reappear for mention on April 8.

Charlene Scott appears for the Crown, while Lawyer Richard Hector is defending Onwusah.