the Island, The Royal Gazette has learned.

But yesterday he firmly scotched rumours he was here advising Sir John on how to handle his Independence initiative.

"Essentially I am a tourist. I didn't even know about the Independence referendum,'' he said last night.

Mr. Nadarajah, who hails from Sri Lanka, was an adviser to Sir John in the early 1980s, and helped to catapult him to power. He left Bermuda for London, and now intends moving to Asia.

"I am here in Bermuda just to visit old friends, one of whom is the Premier,'' he said.

"I haven't been here for 10 1 years and am not in a position to say anything on Independence.''