Governor Sir Richard Gozney yesterday pledged to take to heart Sir John Swan's call to bring an end to the row between the Auditor General and Police Commissioner.

Sir Richard said he had been in talks about a number of subjects with Larry Dennis and George Jackson — whose fallout the former Premier says is undermining Bermuda's constitutional system designed to ensure order.

"I always listen carefully and take to heart the wise words of an elder statesman like Sir John Swan, whether he makes them when he and I talk privately or when he speaks publicly," Sir Richard told The Royal Gazette.

"As you'd expect I've been in close touch with the Auditor General and the Commissioner of Police on a range of issues in recent weeks."

Sir Richard declined to expand on what subjects the discussions had covered, but said he had a strong interest in most of their work as senior figures of the Bermuda Administration. Mr. Dennis and Mr. Jackson both declined to comment yesterday.

Mr. Dennis was arrested last summer in what he says was a politically motivated move in the run-up to the General Election. Mr. Jackson argues it was necessary as Police investigated the alleged theft of confidential files at the centre of the Bermuda Housing Corporation row.

Yesterday, this newspaper reported how Sir John said they — as well as Government and the media — needed to settle their differences in order to help mend a broken Bermuda.

He said the damaged relationships were hurting Bermuda's system and contributing to the violence which has plagued the Island.

Asked for a response yesterday, the Premier's Press Secretary Glenn Jones said: "The Premier and Sir John have a good interpersonal relationship and they dialogue from time to time. So we have no response to your article.

"However, I can tell you the Premier and former Premier cordially discuss all sorts of things whenever they get together."

Meanwhile yesterday, Pembroke MP Ashfield DeVent — godfather of this month's fatal stabbing victim Kellon Hill — reiterated his call for a big conversation on drugs.

Mr. DeVent, who says illegal substances are a major factor behind gang trouble, said debate should be held over the possible decriminalising of cannabis possession, or even setting up Government dispensaries of illicit substances in an effort to take the profit out of drug dealing.

Mr. DeVent said: "Kellon's death has had a profound effect on me. To see my name in the obituary with someone as young as he was really devastating. It's had a devastating effect on both my son and nephew, who knew Kellon.

"It's tragic and it's sadly something that I see progressing. It's going to take a real, real serious effort on much of the community to address it."

The Progressive Labour Party politician said Bermudians had a tendency to bury their heads in the sand over issues like guns, drugs or gangs, and that there had been a gun problem for years before Police acknowledged it.

"It's an issue that has to be looked at holistically," said Mr. DeVent.

On decriminalising cannabis possession, he said: "Let's have a debate. Let's at least discuss it. Rather than put them in a criminal court, they could be first sent to a drugs awareness course. Then you can explain to them how drugs can affect them physically."

Regarding Government dispensaries, which was recently suggested by the murder victim Matthew Clarke's brother Michael, Mr. DeVent said: "That's something that can be a consideration, or at least we have to discuss it. We have to have an open, honest discussion on the subject.

"We are not going to solve anything by people just saying: 'We have a problem.'"