After losing a preliminary court skirmish to get libel allegations against H.S & J.E. Crisson Ltd. thrown out, company head Peter Crisson is gearing up to defend himself in court.

Stephen Crane, the principal of Caribbean jewellery chain Colombian Emeralds, is suing Mr. Crisson, the family-owned company, and general manager Larry Booker for libel and is claiming "substantial sums'' for damages.

Mr. Crane alleges that Mr. Crisson and Mr. Booker are responsible for 28 messages posted on the Internet at a Yahoo! notice board discussion site for investors interested in Colombian Emeralds' main competitor Little Switzerland, which Mr. Crane's company at the time was attempting to acquire.

Since the writ was issued earlier this year Mr. Crisson applied to the court to have the suit dropped against the company and Mr. Booker. He also applied to have some of the alleged evidence seized under court order returned.

Through an injunction in January Mr. Crane's appointed representatives went to Mr. Crisson and Mr. Booker's homes and the business for evidence.

Libel suit to go ahead A computer and other evidence were seized.

In his judgement issued July 14, and obtained by The Royal Gazette yesterday, Chief Justice Austin Ward noted that Mr. Crisson wanted all documents addressed to any government department concerning Mr. Crane and Colombian Emeralds ruled as irrelevant to the case, as well as e-mail addresses in electronic address books.

Mr. Justice Ward agreed and said Mr. Crane could only use messages, documents and computer discs relating to the libel suit. However he gave a thumbs down to Mr. Crisson's attempt to have the suit thrown out against Crisson's and Mr.

Booker.

Mr. Crane alleges that e-mail notices, under the pseudonym Cranestalker, were posted throughout last year by Mr. Crisson and Mr. Booker until January this year, during the time when Mr. Crane made a takeover bid for Little Switzerland through his holding company Destination Retail Holdings.

Cranestalker makes certain allegations about Mr. Crane, his reputation and character and the operations of Colombian Emeralds.

Mr. Crane subsequently got Yahoo! to track down the source of the notices. He alleges that the notices were traced to Bermuda. Mr. Crane subsequently obtained an injunction on January 25.

Colombian Emeralds is the exclusive supplier of Bermuda's Astwood Dickinson, a main competitor to Crisson's.

Mr. Crane and Destination Retail are involved in a class action suit filed this year in Delaware alleging that he and Little Switzerland's executives didn't inform shareholders that the offer for the company would expire on April 30 days before shareholders were scheduled to vote on the merger on May 8.

Subsequently Little Switzerland's stock price dropped 28 percent. Last month (April) Little Switzerland posed a net loss for nine months of $7.5 million and a 25 percent fall in sales.

Suing: Colombian Emeralds chief Stephen Crane BUSINESS BUC