Confusion last night surrounded whether American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson ever intended to come to Bermuda for last weekend's Women in Public Life conference.

His press secretary told The Royal Gazette yesterday that Rev. Jackson was not scheduled to speak and was never planning to come to the Island.

But conference organiser, Telecommunications and E-commerce Minister Renee Webb, and her assistant Nigel Hickson, said they spoke to Rev. Jackson and his agents just two weeks before the conference and were informed he was still coming.

They said it was only a few days before the three day conference that they discovered Rev. Jackson, who was billed as keynote speaker for Saturday, would not be coming.

They said the high profile activist had always said he might not come if events changed in the Middle East.

Rev. Jackson spoke in Chicago on Friday evening at a film presentation and in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday night at an African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Keiana Peyton, the National Press Secretary of Rev. Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, told The Royal Gazette yesterday that both engagements had been booked months in advance and the civil rights activist always gave at least one month's notice when he cancelled events.

However, Ms Webb said she had never heard of Ms Peyton and had always dealt directly with Rev. Jackson and his personal assistant, James Gomez.

Ms Peyton told The Royal Gazette: "Rev. Jackson was not scheduled to speak there (Bermuda). He was not planning to speak and he was never planning to be there.

"I've talked with our scheduler and he would have had confirmation and press (here) would have known to do media mobilisation.

"That seems to have been erroneous information from the start. He had no plans to be there.

"We would normally give a month to a month and a half's notice that he was not attending. We would have informed the necessary parties that the Rev. Jackson was not attending.

"Whether the organisers have sent out erroneous information or it is the mistake of another party, I can't say."

But Ms Webb told The Royal Gazette last night: "He was always scheduled to come. I spoke to him personally and my assistant spoke to his office on numerous occasions.

"I spoke to Jesse Jackson and his personal assistant James Gomez on a conference call. The last time I spoke to him was two weeks before the conference and he was still on.

"I knew for sure on Wednesday that there was a possibility he was not coming and I spoke to the travel agent doing the reservations and was told he had not booked anything.

"He said something else had come up and he couldn't make it. It was always contingent on the Middle East talks and as a consequence of the Middle East and Bush and Iraq, I guess he announced all these things went otherwise

"I dealt directly with James Gomez his personal assistant. I never dealt with the press secretary. I've never heard of her. I spoke to Jesse Jackson on a conference call with his people two weeks before."

Mr. Hickson, Government's e-commerce consultant, added: "We spoke to his agents and the Minister spoke to him personally and it was always understood he was scheduled to come. In fairness to him, there was always the possibility that there might be other business, but we spoke to his scheduling agents and confirmed the times and dates and he indicated he would do his utmost to be there.

"I don't think we want to make a big thing about it, but clearly he and his agents were fully aware of this conference and were coming. We would not have put his name on the programme (otherwise). It was not until the last few days that we were aware that he looked like he was not coming."

Ms Peyton added: "The Rev. Jackson has not been to the Middle East for two months."