magistrate has ordered.

Magistrate Edward King yesterday ruled Supt. Victor Richmond must move from his Bermuda Housing Corporation home at Alexandra Road in Prospect and pay unspecified court costs to the Corporation.

Mr. King said Supt. Richmond's defence that communication between then Police Commissioner, Lennett Edwards, and BHC officials was not binding because Mr.

Edwards was not acting as his agent.

The legal dispute began in September 1996 when the BHC wanted to carry out substantial renovations which would have led to a rental increase of more than 100 percent.

Supt. Richmond won a Supreme Court Appeal of a earlier decision that he had to move from his Government-owned home that he has lived in since 1970.

Puisne Judge Richard Ground sent the case back down to the Magistrates' Court after finding a lease signed in 1993 was legal.

What had to be settled was whether the question of the communication allowed Supt. Richmond to live at the home until he left the Service.

Commissioner Edwards wrote to the BHC expressing his concern that Supt.

Richmond and other officers would be "denominated'' from Police housing to make it available to the general public. The matter was even discussed by Cabinet.

In his judgment, which was dotted with numerous legal citations, Mr. King said a "good faith'' agreement is not considered of value in the law.

Magistrate rules against top cop "It can never be said that Commissioner Edwards acted as the defendants agent,'' he said. "Mr. Edwards testified that he didn't see the correspondences as creating a legal relationship with him and the BHC.'' "Any assurance to the Commissioner could not be considered binding,'' Mr.

King said.

Mr. King said Supt. Richmond should have made sure the 1993 lease included his interests and Supt. Richmond relied on others "without protest''.

He ordered Supt. Richmond to pay costs of the Magistrates' and Supreme Courts to the BHC and quit the property by July 31.

Supt. Richmond was represented by lawyer Richard Hector and the BHC by Chris LaVigne.

POLICE POL