WORKS & Engineering Minister Alex Scott revealed yesterday he was directly involved in the decision to remove items from the luggage of an airline passenger who was about to fly out of Bermuda last Friday.

Shirley Rose Higgins and her brother Jim Higgins were stopped by an airport security officer who took a four-foot Native American totem pole, two classical music compact discs and two blankets - with a total value of around $370 - from them after searching their luggage.

Ms Higgins said the items had been given to her by her friend of three decades, the late Tourism Minister David Allen, and she had been in possession of them for a full week and had been unchallenged until she reached the airport (see story below). Mr. Scott, the executor of Mr. Allen's will, said the goods belonged to Mr. Allen's estate and he had remained unaware that Ms Higgins had taken them in the days after Mr. Allen's death on September 26.

"In fact, I did not know that the items were in her possession and I did not know she had taken them," said Mr. Scott.

He said it was only last Friday - the same day Ms Higgins' revelations about events during Mr. Allen's final days were published by this newspaper - that he became aware that Ms Higgins had the items in question.

"I was asked if I wished these items belonging to Mr. Allen's estate to be kept in Bermuda as there was every probability they were to be be taken out of the country," said Mr. Scott. "I said I did wish to keep them in Bermuda."

When asked who had asked him this question, Mr. Scott said: "The folks at airport security, or rather the folks who had been in contact with airport security."

He did not say who had asked airport security to seek out the items.

Airport operations general manager James Howes said yesterday he could not comment when asked whether the stopping of a passenger and the removal of possessions was an unusual occurrence at the airport.

He added that he had nothing to add to a statement released last Friday through Government Information Services.

The statement read: "On the basis of information received, departing passenger Ms Shirley Rose Higgins was interviewed by airport security and as a result, certain items apparently destined for overseas were retained and have now been returned to their rightful owner."

Mr. Scott also pointed out his reasons for believing that Ms Higgins' motivation for making last week's revelations was probably the Government's refusal to pay her hotel bill.

He said he had a record of a telephone conversation between Ms Higgins - who wished to leave a message for Tourism Director Judith Hall Bean - and Michelle Durrant, of the Ministry of Tourism. The call took place on September 27, the day after Mr. Allen died.

"She (Ms Higgins) said she was concerned over the fact that the funeral was to be held a whole week after the Minister passed away," Mr. Scott said, reading from information given to him by Ms Hall Bean.

"She wanted to know who was going to pay for her accommodation and her flight back to Boston. She made the point that she came to Bermuda on the air ambulance and she did not have a return ticket.

"The director did not return the call but instructed staff to let her know that Tourism would not be responsible for paying her bill."

He said that on the same day - the day after Mr. Allen's death - he had phoned Ms Higgins as he tried to locate the key for the rental house where the Minister had spent his last days.

"I called Ms Higgins and she had the same conversation with myself, about who was going to meet the cost of her hotel bill." He added that he had learned the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel had charged the Higginses just $178 for their one-week stay in respect of the late Mr. Allen.

"This is further proof that the people of Bermuda have treated her more than fairly in light of the Minister's death," said Mr. Scott.

Mr. Scott was responding to questions arising from Ms Higgins' interview that appears in today's newspaper. But he did so reluctantly.

"In my view this is not very dignified," said the Minister. "I think is contrary to what the mourners feel: 'May he rest in peace'. And I know this sort of thing is not what Minister Allen would have wanted. But in light of the issues raised I feel I have no choice but to respond."