A man accused of trying to swindle ACE out of a $20 million cheque protested his innocence, telling Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo: "I don't have the smarts to do things like that. I don't have the brains to concoct a scheme like that."

Maxwell Roberts must wait until the case resumes on November 20 to find out whether Mr. Tokunbo will find him guilty of obtaining property by deception — a charge that carries a penalty of up to five years behind bars.

It emerged yesterday that Roberts allegedly committed the offence the day after being released from Westgate on September 5, where he served a three-year sentence for a previous crime. The prosecution claim he made suspicious calls to ACE employees before being caught in a Police sting on September 6 while picking up a fake $20 million cheque planted behind the company's reception desk.

Witnesses have alleged that Roberts told ACE's head of human resources, Pandora Wright, during phone calls that he was a director of the insurance and re-insurance company called Richard Strauss.

He allegedly spun a tale about a private investigator named Kenneth Stevens flying into Bermuda to launch an investigation into the conduct of the ACE chief executive officer, claiming the detective needed $20 million to begin the probe.

The calls prompted Ms Wright to contact the Police who planted the cheque, and arrested Roberts when he arrived to pick it up.

Roberts, who elected to defend himself during the three-day Magistrates' Court trial, has consistently claimed he was merely a messenger in the employ of Mr. Strauss and Mr. Stevens.

He took the stand in his own defence yesterday, repeatedly proclaiming "I'm an innocent man."

Giving his own version of events, he claimed that three weeks before his release, two prison officers were bribed by Mr. Strauss and Mr. Stevens to put them in touch with him.

He said he believed the pair were directors of ACE and agreed to act as their messenger in the belief that he was not doing anything illegal and because he was "desperate" for money.

"I was promised $3 million in instalments. I was promised to be taken care of the rest of my life in instalments," he said, explaining that he had received $1.5 million so far.

He declined to tell the court its whereabouts, remarking: "I'm not stupid enough to put it in a bank account."

Roberts claimed he phoned Mr. Stevens and Mr. Strauss immediately upon his release, which led him to make an initial reconnaissance visit to ACE.

"Me, like an idiot, I go to ACE thinking it's fine and dandy. It's a nice building, I tell you one thing, it's a beautiful building. I thought jeez, it's a nice place. Then the detective saw me at ACE and wondered what I was doing there," said Roberts.

He claimed Mr. Stevens made the suspicious phone calls, before asking him to return to ACE to pick up the cheque.

"Wambo! I was arrested!" said Roberts, clapping his hands together for emphasis before telling the court: "It's not a crime going to ACE to pick up a cheque. Is that a crime in our society? Show me a law book where that's a crime."

Roberts - who was repeatedly warned by Mr. Tokunbo not to make speeches to the court - claimed the Police failed to investigate the role of Mr. Stevens and Mr. Strauss. He denied making phone calls to ACE purporting to be a Mr. Strauss.

He said neither of these men would be giving evidence on his behalf because they had left Bermuda.

Claiming that the prosecution had not made out a case against him, he accused Crown counsel Nicole Smith of producing "speculation and half baked notions. That's all."

The case continues.