Orion Tuzo may have deliberately made minor mistakes in importing a shipment of juices containing cannabis in case he was caught, a Crown Counsel claimed yesterday.

Tuzo with his wife Karen is accused of importing more than $12 million worth of cannabis in a shipment of juices from Jamaica addressed to Front Street jewellers Astwood Dickinson Ltd. in March last year.

Astwood Dickinson has denied any knowledge of the 15 crates of juice containing 500 pounds of cannabis.

Yesterday Crown Counsel Mr. Briain Calhoun was commenting on the fact that Orion Tuzo stated that he received juices that he did not order and errors were made on the shipment paperwork.

"If you knew you had received the wrong shipment, why did you send Michael Pond to pick it up, and give him money for it?'' Mr. Calhoun asked Tuzo, who did not reply.

When questioned about the more than $40,000 found in a canister in the kitchen ceiling of the Tuzo's house, Orion Tuzo said it was their savings which he had not counted or touched since 1992.

He also told the court that he last counted the money in 1989 when he had about $20,000.

Mr. Calhoun told Tuzo that he had lied to Police several times about the money, saying it was not his.

"You knew that if you said the money was yours it could tie you into the drug shipment,'' Mr. Calhoun said.

He added that Tuzo also knew very well that it was not necessary to use his wife's name on the shipment due to the fact that she had a peddlers license because no-one needs a peddlers licence to import anything.

Mr. Calhoun also pointed out the fact that Tuzo had only met the man (Mr.

Patrick) that he ordered the juices from in Jamaica three times before sending more than $700 to him for the shipment. He added that he did not have any paperwork on the shipment and did not fill out an order form for the juices which is "precisely how you set it up, and that is why you used cash''.

In response, Tuzo said: "I imported juices, how the drugs got there I do not know and I do not know how the name Astwood Dickinson got on there either.'' Mr. Calhoun said the reason Tuzo had the large amount of cash in his house was because he did not want a record of the money kept.

In closing arguments Mr. Calhoun told the jury "one or both of them caused the drugs to be brought into Bermuda. They admitted that they caused the shipment to be brought in and the primary issue is: Did they know about the drugs? "Most of the evidence points to Orion Tuzo but some of Karen Tuzo's statements cannot be believed.'' The trial continues today before Puisne Judge the Hon. Mr. Justice Ground. Mr.

Archie Warner and Ms Victoria Pearman appear for the defence and Mr. Melvin Douglas is assisting the Crown.