Former lawyer Charles Vaucrosson last night claimed he is owed $4 million in debts.

Now he is launching a series of legal bids to recover the money to pay back his own creditors.

Last week Mr. Vaucrosson issued a writ against Arnold Todd Jr., a man he testified against in a fraud trial, for more than $2 million.

Earlier this week he lodged a writ against Irving Minors, although no amount was disclosed, and he said he will issue several more writs in the near future.

"I am going after all those people who owe me money and there are lots of them out there.'' Mr. Vaucrosson claimed yesterday. "They all tell me they have had a hard year. I tell them so have I.'' Mr. Vaucrosson was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted in 1995 of stealing almost $400,000 from the estate of journalist Percy Ball.

The former lawyer was released last December after serving less than a year of his sentence.

While in prison he was served with writs and more were filed after his release.

The Bank of Butterfield, the Bank of Bermuda and the estate of the late Mr.

Ball have all filed writs against Mr. Vaucrosson.

It is not known how much the banks are seeking to recover, however Mr. Ball's estate wants $480,000.

"All people did while I was in prison was sue me,'' added Mr. Vaucrosson.

"Now I am getting my attorney to quietly issue writs. I think I am owed about $4 million altogether.

"It is a question of my recovering money from my debtors so that I can pay my creditors.'' Mr. Vaucrosson has issued a writ for $2,094,375,38 against Arnold Todd Jr., who was cleared of some but not all fraud charges after a marathon Supreme Court trial.

He gave prosecution evidence in Mr. Todd's trial last year at the Supreme Court, which finished in November after nine weeks.

Todd was accused of 17 counts of theft, fraud and false accounting. The offences were alleged to have taken when Mr. Todd was a senior loans officer at the Bank of Bermuda.

He was cleared of five charges by a unanimous verdict and one on a majority verdict. However the ten woman and two man jury was unable to reach a verdict on eleven other charges despite a day-and-a-half's deliberation.

Last night Mr. Minors, an accountant, said he was aware of the writ, but was unsure if he owed Mr. Vaucrosson any money.

He added that he also believed the dispute could be settled without any need to go to court.

"I owed money to someone else and Mr. Vaucrosson guaranteed the debt for me.

He acted as the guarantor. I am sure this can be settled amicably without the need to go to court,'' said Mr. Minors.

CHARLES VAUCROSSON -- `They all tell me they have had a hard year. I tell them so have I.'