The claims of a Bahamian businessman to be bringing world leaders, Hollywood stars and a Nobel Peace Prize winner to Bermuda for a prestigious awards ceremony were thrown into doubt last night.

Dr. Rudolph King, chairman of the non-profit making King Humanitarian and Global Foundation, announced at a Press conference at the Fairmont Southampton Hotel yesterday that Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Halle Berry, Will Smith and Rick Springfield, plus three unnamed world leaders, would be attending the 2006 Global Vision Awards of Excellence on June 30.

He said the ceremony, also to be held at the Fairmont Southampton, would be televised to 185 countries around the world and would herald ?the accomplishments of men and women who have significantly contributed to enhancing the quality of life for all?.

But agents for Oscar winner Ms Berry, Oscar nominee Mr. Smith and Mr. Springfield told that they knew nothing about the event and that their clients would not be visiting the Island.

Mr. Smith?s publicist Pat Kingsley, from the PMK/HBH agency in West Hollywood, said: ?Will Smith is not going to be in Bermuda the end of June as he is scheduled to start a film in Los Angeles in June.?

A spokeswoman for Vincent Cirrincione Associates in Los Angeles, which represents Ms Berry, said: ?She is going to be doing international press for her film X-Men 3 in the summer. Bermuda is not on the list at this time. I don?t even have information on this event.?

And Alana Sarratore, from New York?s Doyle-Kos Entertainment agency, which represents singer Mr. Springfield, said: ?That is totally untrue. We know nothing about it whatsoever. We completely deny that that?s the case.?

Checks into Dr. King?s background also revealed that he appeared in court in the Bahamas over a $400,000 credit card debt in 2004.

The case came before Justice Hartman Longley in February 2004 and saw American Express attorney Peter Maynard claim that Dr. King owed the company $417,912.

Dr. King ? said in court to have changed his name in December, 1991 to Kermit Rudolph Casito Laroda ? was alleged to have spent the amount on two credit cards in less than two months and repaid only $3,000.

Last night, Dr. King initially denied any involvement in the 2004 court case but then admitted he was involved. He said: ?That was a matter which was dealt with in the court in Bahamas. I was not prosecuted.?

Dr. King said earlier yesterday that he was invited to host the awards ceremony on the Island by the Bermuda Alliance for Tourism (BAT) and the Bermuda Hotel Association (BHA).

But Wayne Smith, executive director of BAT, and John Harvey, CEO for BHA, both denied that was the case.

Mr. Smith said the alliance simply provided information to Dr. King: ?I ? at no time ? invited him. He came to us with a proposal and said he has this event in various different places.

?I?m afraid I do not know much about the King Humanitarian Foundation. He did give us a big file of references. I didn?t take up the references. But we are not in the business of turning tourists away.?

Mr. Harvey said: ?There was a chat about what he did and about what we do in Bermuda and that was it.?

Dr. King told the Press conference that Ms Berry ?has confirmed that she will be attending?.

He claimed a long list of celebrities from the world of film and television had all agreed to accept awards.

?They are coming in droves,? he said. ?Mr. Will Smith. We have confirmation that he will be attending.?

He also named South African Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu. Archbishop Tutu could not be contacted yesterday for comment.

?This is the very first time that these great awards will be happening in Bermuda,? said Dr. King. ?It?s an awards dinner where we will be inviting local persons to attend as well. This will be a fabulous time, a night one will always remember.?

He said he could not name the three world leaders attending for security reasons.

Dr. King ? whose organisation was launched in 2000 and has offices in Florida and Nassau ? says he has a doctorate in economics from Cambridge University and is an ambassador for Dominica, giving him the title His Excellency.

Sean Douglas, press secretary for the Government of Dominica, could not confirm the ambassadorship but said Dr. King was a friend of prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

Last night, Dr. King insisted that the event would go ahead with all the famous guests he had named. ?I know for sure. I have confirmation that they are coming. I will stand by what my office has sent out.?