A REGULAR visitor to the island has accused a Bermuda holiday apartments owner of conning him out of $1,000.

Italian journalist Mike Bianco, who lives in Manhattan, says he has been fighting for more than two years to get his money back from businessman Leopold Kuchler.

Mr. Bianco said that after he had paid a booking deposit of $1,000 to stay at the Vienna Guest Apartments in Warwick, Mr. Kuchler cancelled the reservation at short notice.

The Austrian-born businessman agreed to pay back $1,400 to cover Mr. Bianco's deposit and airfare, the Italian said.

Mr. Kuchler admitted yesterday that he owed the former guest $1,000 and he intended to pay it back.

"It's a fact I owe him $1,000," Mr. Kuchler, the former Austrian Honorary Consul, said.

"But since September 11 (2001, terrorist attacks), I have had great financial problems and I will pay him back when I am in a position to do it.

"The only way out of this is through honest, hard work and that is what I'm doing to pay people back.

"Believe me, many people owe me thousands of dollars too."

Mr. Kuchler said the Vienna Guest Apartments closed down two years ago and he had tried to get planning permission to convert them into residential units.

Mr. Bianco said that despite repeated apologies and promises from Mr. Kuchler, the money has not been paid. He added that Mr. Kuchler had ceased to respond to his e-mails or take his phone calls. The journalist said he had decided to go public to ensure that other visitors to the island did not suffer the same fate as him.

Mr. Kuchler is best known for his attempts to establish a new airline on the island, Bermuda Air, and for standing unsuccessfully as a Progressive Labour Party candidate in the Paget West constituency in the 2003 General Election.

Mr. Bianco said the saga dated back to September 2003, when he was staying at the Vienna Guest Apartments as Fabian, a Category Three hurricane, raged across the island.

"I came to Bermuda for one month every year for seven years and I went to Leo's apartments for two or three of those years," Mr. Bianco said. "I liked the place and I got to know Leo.

"In 2003, I gave him my deposit of $1,000 to reserve a month in the summer of 2004. It costs about $3,000 for the month."

However, in late July 2004 Mr. Kuchler cancelled Mr. Bianco's booking, because he said the apartments needed to be renovated because of structural problems.

Mr. Bianco said Mr. Kuchler, whom he described as a former friend, had reneged on his promise to pay back the deposit. The Italian sent us some of his saved e-mail correspondence with Mr. Kuchler to corroborate his story.

In an e-mail dated June 23 last year, Mr. Kuchler apologised for not sending the money and promised to send it "by Friday this week".

He explained that he was working 16- to 18-hour days driving a taxi to pay his bills.

"You may remember that I was involved in the airline start-up and that it cost me a large amount of funds," Mr. Kuchler wrote, adding that the bank which had agreed to provide some of the funding for the project had "pulled the rug from under me".

"They killed my project and put me into a lot of owing people money and lawsuits against me," Mr. Kuchler added. "I cleared most of it and now I am in a position of turning things around ? finally!"

In his response, dated July 3 last year, Mr Bianco wrote: "You owe me money but mostly you owe your 'word' . . . If you did not have the money you should have told me the truth a long time ago . . .

"Sorry Leo, I am having a hard time believing you, and once again I've been waiting for over four weeks to get the money that you promised to send by wire transfer at the beginning of June and once again last Friday . . . I still did not get anything!"

Mr. Bianco said this week: "I just want people to know what happened to me, so the same thing doesn't happen to them."

Mr. Kuchler said he intended to send Mr. Bianco the money within the week.