An official complaint has been made to Police alleging that cheques from a company part owned by Progressive Labour Party candidate Zane DeSilva were forged.

The complaint was made on behalf of Bermuda Composite Construction (BCC) to fraud officers yesterday about what is understood to be more than 50 cheques from the company all bearing the name of Southampton East Central candidate Mr. DeSilva and one of the company's other directors.

It is believed that the second name on the cheques — which date from 2001 to 2004 — is the one alleged to have been forged.

A source told The Royal Gazette: "A number of them were paid out to subcontractors. Many were to construction workers."

Police issued a statement last night in response to questions about the complaint.

It said: "Today at 7.37 p.m. Police received a query from a reporter from The Royal Gazette as it relates to a specific criminal complaint.

"At 8.30 p.m. we received specific questions as it relates to the query from The Royal Gazette.

"Today at 11 a.m. Fraud Officers attended the offices of a prominent lawyer where a criminal complaint was lodged by individuals in the presence of the lawyer.

"Having taken the details of the complaint the officers were asked if this complaint was an official complaint, to which the officer responded in the affirmative.

"This prompted the officer to question the timing of the complaint/allegations. They were informed by the complainants' legal representative that the matter had already been brought or is being brought to the attention of the press and would likely be printed in The Royal Gazette on Saturday.

"We wish to make it clear that the Bermuda Police Service will investigate all legitimate complaints it receives."

BCC was set up on May 1, 2000 by Kevin Bean-Walls and Leon Williams and was contracted to build 20 low cost housing units at Southside for Bermuda Housing Corporation. Mr. DeSilva, president and chief executive officer of Island Construction, and former PLP MP Arthur Pitcher joined BCC as directors a fortnight after it was incorporated. The four directors had 25 percent of the shares each.

The Royal Gazette understands that all company cheques had to be signed by two directors and that one of the signatures had to be from Mr. Bean-Walls or Mr. Williams and one had to be from Mr. DeSilva or Mr. Pitcher.

It is understood that the allegation made to Police is that neither Mr. Bean-Walls or Mr. Williams signed the cheques.

As well as the Southside project, BCC also worked on the construction of Premier Ewart Brown's house on AP Owen Road, Smith's.

BCC took over that project and the Southside scheme from ACL Construction Ltd, a company run by Mr. Bean-Walls and Mr. Williams. BCC was struck off Companies Register in November 2004.

Mr. DeSilva did not return emails and telephone calls from this newspaper yesterday about the alleged forged cheques.

Mr. Bean-Walls refused to comment. Mr. Williams and Mr. Pitcher could not be contacted.