A senior Police officer admitted yesterday that he stopped investigating allegations of sexual impropriety against a junior officer after he discovered that the officer had a relationship with the defendant's wife.

These revelations occurred minutes before Jerry Alexander Ming's Supreme Court drugs trial reached the end of its fourth day.

Ming, 29, of Beacon Hill, Sandys, is alleged to have imported more than $35,000 worth of cocaine into Bermuda on February 2, and handled the drug with intent to supply.

Chief Inspector Norell Hull, who is the officer in charge of the Bermuda Police Force's narcotics division, said that he initiated an investigation on Wednesday.

The investigation, the court heard, was the outcome of allegations that narcotics officers were involved in a clandestine affair with Ming's wife.

"This morning (Thursday) I caused inquires to be made and I discovered that one of my officers did have a relationship with Mrs. Ming.'' Chief Inspector Hull was quick to point out that there was a difference between an affair and a relationship.

Once he said he discovered there was a relationship, he chose not to press the inquiry any further.

"I found out there was an relationship,'' he explained. "But I did not go any further because it is not my business. It is a personal matter.'' As defence lawyer Mr. Archie Warner pressed him, Chief Insp. Hull explained a relationship only became serious if the officer is an integral part of an investigation.

He dismissed Mr. Warner's suggestions the affair between P.c. Rudy Richardson and Jerry Ming's wife tainted the narcotics investigation.

Earlier, Puisne Judge the Hon. Mrs. Justice Wade had to intervene as Mr.

Warner and Crown counsel Mr. Phillip Storr traded disparaging remarks.

"Please lets stop this at once,'' Mrs. Wade said. "There are very important issues for the jury to decide in this case. Mr. Ming is facing serious charges and the jury need to hear the evidence.'' Customs officers found the cocaine inside a General Electric stove Ming had purchased in the United States and shipped to Bermuda.

The stove arrived on board the Oleander on January 30. Customs searched it on February 2.

Colin Smith, a member of the Customs contraband enforcement team, said they decided to search the box containing the stove because they have a policy of checking appliances since drug smugglers often use them to bring contraband to Bermuda.

Police were notified after the drugs were found inside a ziploc bag and they substituted the drugs package for a dummy package and followed the delivery truck to Ming's wife's Devonshire apartment.

They kept a constant watch on the apartment until Ming came home with his wife and child that evening around 5:30 p.m.

Fifteen minutes later, Police saw Ming leave the apartment on a motorcycle, and chased him.

He managed to escape along a dirt path near St. Brendan's Hospital.

Later Police and Customs officers went back to the site and searched the area finding the dummy package in some bushes.

The case continues today.