parties to discuss the controversial new company, Bermuda Home.

Meanwhile, chieftains of the new companies complained that the entire issue had been blown out of proportion.

They said yesterday that they are aware of the issues and are taking steps to ensure that there will be no preferential treatment given by their employees to customers of their subsidiary company, Bermuda Realty.

The company has already told realtors it will erect a "Chinese wall'' to separate real estate staff from lenders.

The meeting, called by the Chamber for 3 p.m., will also be attended by the prospective president and CEO of Bermuda Home, Mr. Arthur Haycock, and Mr.

Wayne Jackson, who has been named president of the company's subsidiary, Bermuda Realty Ltd.

The two Bank of Bermuda executives will answer questions put by the membership over the merger of real estate and deposit taking operations of the Bank and LPG Ltd. The meeting is a follow up to one held two weeks ago. But the Chamber is expecting a larger turn out on Monday, because not just Chamber members may attend.

Chamber vice president, Ms Carolyn Mello, said that others, even in industry-related professions would be allowed to attend.

Also present for that meeting, which will be chaired by Chamber board member, Mr. Buddy Franklin, will be LPG president, David Gutteridge.

The news came yesterday as principles of the company sought to address public criticism of the relationship between the lending company and the new real estate company.

Mr. Haycock said: "Real estate agents who objected to the plan are overlooking the fact that we will be able to provide better service.

"Some of the issues they raise are valid. We don't want to play games that have been played in the past.

"We at the bank tried to maintain a separation between our lenders and our realtors. We have always tried to avoid the two working together. We have had a written policy since May of last year, prohibiting our lenders from giving preferential treatment to customers of our real estate department.

"There had always been an unwritten policy against that. And last year we moved to put it in writing. But we had the policies and practices in place. We have a code of ethics.

"And there are even disciplinary steps that could be taken through the Chamber of Commerce. The real estate division has a handbook that outlines the use of a sub-committee to hold disciplinary hearings into cases of abuse.'' Mr. Haycock added that lenders were prohibited from redirecting customers to a different realtor or a new property.

He further stated that to date, none of the complainants had included customers of the bank or potential customers of Bermuda Home.

It also emerged that Bermuda Home and Bermuda Realty will be housed in separate areas of the LPG building in Hamilton.

Mr. Haycock said: "We are trying to deal with a perception here that is not based on any real facts.'' Mr. Jackson said: "There is a lot of innuendo out there. But no one has ever come forward with any details of abuse. We can't deal with innuendo. We can't correct something that we don't know about. We need specifics if there are real allegations out there.'' Bermuda Realty will operate with seven full time real estate sales people working on commission and two part-timers.