two weeks -- after his lawyer failed to show up in court.

Tucker, who ran the Odyssey nightclub on Front Street before his arrest in St.

Maarten in June, is charged along with three others of importing four pounds of cocaine into the Caribbean island.

The case was adjourned on Monday when Hurricane Georges brought the island to a standstill.

And when the court reconvened yesterday it was explained that Tucker's lawyer was off the island.

Tucker could then only watch from the sidelines as his three co-defendants -- all arrested at the same time -- provided damning evidence against him.

Michael Breed, Marc Beauvil and Vivence Jacques suggested that Tucker was the mastermind behind the operation when cross-examined by prosecution attorneys.

The court heard how he offered them jobs in Bermuda before flying them out to Curacao. There he picked up a selection of lamps which were used to smuggle the cocaine back into St. Maarten by the three mules.

The gang was eventually arrested by gun-wielding narcotics officers following a tip-off from an informant.

Prosecution lawyers requested that Tucker's three co-defendants should be given custodial sentences of up to two years.

But defence lawyers for the three, who have no previous convictions, claimed that they were roped into the scheme by Tucker.

The prosecution will give evidence against Tucker on October 7 after which the trial judge will give his verdict.

BERMUDIAN BDA CRIME CRM