Premier Pamela Gordon yesterday challenged a Shadow Minister to put up or shut up after threatening to sue her for libel.

And Ms Gordon said she would not be apologising to Shadow Home Affairs Minister Alex Scott after he accused her of branding him a liar -- outside the House of Assembly where all comment is privileged.

And she insisted she had no intention of defaming Mr. Scott -- but of rubbishing specific information Mr. Scott said had been passed to him.

She was speaking on the day of the deadline laid down for an apology to Mr.

Scott.

Ms Gordon said: "I don't have a problem -- but I don't enjoy the concept of being taken to court for calling him a liar when I said the statement was a blatant lie.

The threat of legal action came after Ms Gordon gave a TV interview following a claim by Mr. Scott in a separate interview that he had received information that three Ministers had been behind the resignation of then-Police Commissioner Colin Coxall.

And he added that a Minister met former Police Commissioner Colin Coxall at Police headquarters to demand the return of a personal document.

Mr. Scott did not reveal his source or name any of the Ministers he claimed were involved.

The row began after the Premier gave a interview to rebut Mr. Scott's allegations -- an interview in which he claimed Ms Gordon branded him a liar.

Ms Gordon said she and her advisers were reviewing the tapes of the interview which caused the war of words to break out.

She insisted: "My statement was clear -- I basically said that the statement which was made was a `blatant lie'.

"I stand by that in that the information given in the statement was not the truth.'' Ms Gordon added that Mr. Scott had not named the Ministers he claimed were involved, which defamed the entire Cabinet.

She said she would have expected Mr. Scott to substantiate such a serious claim.

And she challenged Mr. Scott -- if he got his information from someone else -- to "name the person who made such a statement to him''.

She said Mr. Scott should "substantiate his claim or make an apology to our Cabinet Ministers''.

Ms Gordon added if Mr. Scott did either, she "would be more than pleased to back off from my statement that his statement was a lie''.

But she insisted: "Unless he does that, I'm not backing off.'' Last night Mr. Scott was staying tight-lipped over his response to the Premier's challenge.

He said: "The matter is in the hands of our lawyers. I will be taking their advice.'' Ms Gordon refused to back down following a joint appearance with outgoing Health and Social Services Minister Clarence Terceira to deny that his decision to quit was a sign of fractures in the ruling United Bermuda Party.

Both denied that Mr. Terceira's decision to leave had anything to do with the resignation of former Police Commissioner Colin Coxall five months before the end of his contract.

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