The House of Assembly should be recalled for an emergency session to discuss events surrounding controversy over a Government Minister being caught up in the Police drugs-busting Operation Cleansweep, Opposition Leader Jennifer Smith said yesterday.

And Ms Smith said she had written to the Speaker of House Ernest DeCouto asking him to consider bringing MPs back almost three months early for a debate on the issue.

She also said that there was strong support for an inquiry into the affair -- which the Progressive Labour Party supported.

Among the five grounds cited in the letter to Mr. DeCouto is that Environment Minister Irving Pearman charged that Police Colin Coxall "used his authority to pursue a personal vendetta.'' But last night Mr. Pearman said: "I don't recall ever saying anything like that.'' Smith calls for emergency House sitting When asked directly if he thought that was the case, he declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Mr. Coxall said that the Commissioner wanted to watch TV broadcasts of Ms Smith's press conference before deciding whether to comment or not.

Ms Smith said she had taken the unusual step of asking for an emergency session of the House because the Irving Pearman affair cast a shadow "on the integrity of a Member of the House and indeed the House itself.'' The PLP move came after a weeks-long saga concerning Mr. Pearman and allegations of involvement in illegal drugs -- which the Minister has consistently denied. Mr. Pearman himself later said there had also been allegations concerning his personal life.

Ms Smith said allegations about Mr. Pearman "cannot be left to just hang.'' And she took aim at Premier Pamela Gordon, who said in a public statement on the matter that the Governor had consultations with two people -- and added that he had been "badly advised.'' The Premier, however, refused to speculate on who might have advised the Governor.

The Premier also said that the Governor did suggest that Mr. Pearman step down -- but that that was not the same as calling for his resignation. A statment from Government House later said: "There was never any suggestion or evidence to support any allegation that Mr. John Irving Pearman was involved as a target of Operation Cleansweep or in drug trafficking of any sort.'' The row broke out after two people arrested as part of the undercover drugs swoop Cleansweep had cashed cheques made out by Mr. Pearman. Mr. Pearman said that he had been told that one man was prepared to testify the money was for drugs. Mr. Pearman insisted that the cheques were in payment for work around his home.

Ms Smith said that to "clear the matter satisfactorily, you cannot just say `it's finished, it's done' and leave these things hanging -- they have in fact not been answered.'' She added: "I think we should, in fact, know who is advising the Governor. I think that there is general agreement that there should be an inquiry into this matter and the debate in the House may end up with a motion which may call for an inquiry.

"People, the public, have been calling for an inquiry -- no-one has responded to that request, but the power of the House of Assembly is such that that may be the outcome of any debate.'' Mr. Pearman said last night that whether the House is recalled was a matter for the Speaker. He added: "What I want or don't want is irrelevant -- as the political Opposition, there are certain cases where they can ask the Speaker to do things, but obviously the Speaker is the person to make that decision.

"It's purely a question of their agenda and how they see things -- I suppose I would be obliged to speak to it if there was a debate, but I have no intention of doing anything before that.'' But he dismissed as "preposterous'' suggestions that businessmen had been asked to review "the so-called evidence'' against him at Government House.

The letter to the Speaker from Ms Smith also mentioned reports in the electronic media that business persons "compiled a document which it is said influenced the Governor of this Country to call upon the Premier of this country.''