Police may well launch an investigation into allegations of politically motivated dirty tricks surrounding the Berkeley School project, Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott said yesterday.

He said the Solicitor General had given his advice - that the matter warranted an investigation. "His view is that it is serious and it warrants an investigation."

He denied charges by the United Bermua Party that his Ministerial statement made in the House on Friday was a smokescreen to divert attention from rumours about trouble with the $70 million project.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with the project," Mr. Scott said. "There is no one reporting any infractions or irregular behaviour except what appears to be carried out by a United Bermuda Party member."

On Friday Mr. Scott told his House colleagues of an alleged conspiracy, involving an "approved candidate" of the UBP, to induce a senior official of his Ministry to hand over documents relating to the Berkeley project.

The "approved candidate" had approached the man saying there was going to be a police raid as part of an investigation into the Berkeley project and he, the officer, was going to be the fall guy but that he could save himself if he handed the documents over and some powerful people would ensure he would be "taken care of".

The officer's wife was also approached three weeks later, according to Mr. Scott.

The Minister said the officer had reported the matter to his superiors and related the experience to him directly. Affidavits had been signed by the officer and his wife and that the Attorney General was being asked for advice as to whether criminal activity may have occurred, Mr. Scott said.

"If Dr. Gibbons wants to talk about this so much, he may get his opportunity to talk to the Police," said Mr. Scott, adding the UBP would be informed of developments in full in writing.

The UBP's official response was that if the allegations are proven, it would be dealt with internally. Party leader Grant Gibbons also said that Mr. Scott had in the past made similar allegations against the party which had not been proven to be true. He also called for a probe into the Berkeley project by the Auditor General, saying "If this project is being properly managed and there is nothing to hide how could the release of documents compromise the Government, the project or anything else ? The reason this issue is coming up is because there are a lot of questions that Mr. Scott has not answered in the House, in terms of the work schedule, the financial management and the bond for the project."

Yesterday, MP Trevor Moniz who effectively sits in the House as an independent since being ousted from the UBP parliamentary group, said rumours abound that the project is in trouble - with contractor Proactive Management Services running behind schedule and unable to fulfil its contractual obligations. And he backed the UBP's stance.

"The auditor has duties and responsibilities and if he's heard that there are problems on the project - which no doubt there are - he should of his own motion get in there and find out what's going on. He doesn't need to ask anybody. That's a five year project, if the thing is a disaster, we better know now. You don't wait until things go nuclear before you try to sort it out... It's essential the auditor get in there now."

Auditor General Larry Denis was not immediately available for comment.

Mr. Moniz described the Minister's House statement as a "pure pre-emptive strike". "What he's signalling to us is that that project is a disaster."

He said it was "ridiculous" for the Minister to come to the House with "double hearsay" and that the Minister should not have talked about the matter if he was not prepared to table the affidavits.

"If you have an affidavit, let us all see it. If it's sub judice don't talk about it. That's the rule of the House and he's the one who is always breaking these rules... Mr. Scott is telling us what somebody told him somebody else said to him and his wife. How do you defend yourself against these allegations ? There's no defence - it's the old `have you stopped beating your wife ?'"

Mr. Moniz reasoned that the officer would have shrugged off the approach if rumours about trouble on the Berkeley project were not true.

"If the person is so scared that he went to the Minister it tells me the allegations are most likely true."

Mr. Scott insists that the Berkeley project does not warrant an investigation, adding that he did not release the affidavits in order to protect the individuals involved and not prejudice the process. "Parliament was informed - this is not show and tell for Mr. Moniz," he said. "I am not required to provide them with all the details except my statement." He also criticised Dr. Gibbons saying his comments showed no sympathy for the couple involved and in fact supported the behaviour being complained of.