A customer service representative for the US company that shipped a freezer containing half a million dollars worth of cannabis told the court about her dealings with the defendant yesterday.

Martha Salvaggio, who works as a customer service representative for SeaBridge International Shipping in New Jersey, was flown in to giver her evidence in the Supreme Court trial of Jamal Hart. On July 18 2003 a customs officer discovered a freezer that had been shipped to Bermuda care of the HWP Group for a Roger Smith contained nine blocks of cannabis weighing 24 pounds.

Ms Salvaggio said she received an email from Hart on July 8, 2003. He requested that a freezer be shipped to the Island and provided her with the necessary information.

?I received an email for a special request for a freezer,? she said. ?The email was from Jamal Hart for a freezer for Roger Smith of 9 Beaches Road.?

On Wednesday Mr. Smith, of Benevides Lane, Southampton, said he had no knowledge of the container and said he barely knew the defendant. He added that he had had no contact with Hart since 1999 when they were in the Bermuda Regiment together.

Ms Salvaggio told the court she worked extensively with Hart because he was a senior shipping manager for the HWP Group. Hart had been promoted to the position a month before the incident.

?He asked for it to go in the next available vessel. We couldn?t put it in an HWP container because it was already loaded and it was too late.?

The freezer was instead put on a ?freight of all kind? container. Hart sent another email to Ms Salvaggio asking if the invoices for the freezer had been included in the shipment.

During her evidence-in-chief, she stated that it had been Hart who then requested she make an invoice because Bermuda Customs needed one.

However, under cross examination she said it was actually she who offered to make the invoice. The Crown has alleged all along that it was Hart who requested a special invoice be drawn up. At first Ms Salvaggio said she could provide him with an invoice.

?But then my supervisor told me that I could not do that and I would need a copy of the original invoice first,? she said.

Under cross examination she admitted that there was a period where Bermuda Customs was not accepting SeaBridge International invoices but that she was not aware of it until her supervisor told her.

She also agreed that if her supervisor had not told her about the new rules she would have provided Hart with a SeaBridge invoice. Defence counsel Victoria Pearmen was not well yesterday and unable to attend the trial, her junior, Charles Richardson, took over and questioned Ms Salvaggio. Ms Salvaggio was the only witness called yesterday.

Hart, 38, of Farm Lane, Hamilton Parish, denies importing the drugs on or about July 13, 2003. The trial continues.