Former Bermuda College financial comptroller, Jane Smith, ended her career with the College following repeated instances of "professional misconduct," the College said yesterday.

Ms Smith told this week that her 24-year career at the College began to unravel when she reported to a College executive what she thought was inappropriate spending by the College president and vice president.

A press release fired off by the College yesterday said the allegations were a "grave and gross misrepresentation of the facts."

"Ms Smith herself chose to accept a redundancy package after careful consideration of her future with the College in light of a series of documented misbehaviours and unprofessional conduct that began as early as Spring 2003," according to the statement.

"Following a warning from the president about her behaviour, Ms Smith was then placed on probation, and subsequently asked to take administrative leave when the professional misconduct continued."

The College says that Ms Smith had applied for the Chief Financial and Operations Officer position, but was unsuccessful.

"She then repeatedly refused to work with the successful candidate, necessitating the involvement of the Bermuda Public Services Union who advised her to co-operate," the statement continued.

"As a result of Ms Smith's unsuccessful bid, she also filed a grievance with the Human Rights Commission, which conducted an investigation and found that the College's decision was the appropriate one. It was Ms Smith who then suggested her redundancy."

Ms Smith had raised concerns that Vice President Larita Alford had used the College's credit card to pay for accommodations at Stonington Hotel after hurricane Fabian.

And she was also concerned that College president had made charges for entertainment that was not documented and may have been inappropriate.

"Both the College Chairman and the President were informed at the time and were satisfied with the Vice President's accommodation at Stonington Hotel," the statement continued.

"The money was reimbursed to the College within a week of the charge."

College president Michael Orenduff had entertained civil rights author Derek Bell "and other local dignitaries" when he visited the Island last year, the statement continued.

"It is customary and an expected practice that in his capacity as president that he be called upon to host external or overseas guests of the College. In both instances, the actions of Drs. Orenduff and Alford were considered neither illegal not improper and properly within each administrative remit."

Ms Smith had acknowledged that she should have gone to the College Chairman if she could not go to her supervisor with her suspicions of improprieties, and could not explain why she went instead to another senior staffer instead, the statement said.

"The post of financial comptroller in any institution requires a high degree of integrity, and professionalism ? the lack of which only serves to damage the reputation of such an institution."

Ms Smith could not be reached for comment last night.