their names were connected with a fraud case involving more than $450,000.

Chukwudi Onwusah was sentenced in Supreme Court on Wednesday to a year's imprisonment after defrauding the Bank of Bermuda of $453,809.70 in an international cheque-cashing scheme.

Defence lawyer Richard Hector said his client was used as a "pawn'' by the other members of the conspiracy, citing the involvement of financial planner Rex Darrell and Bermuda Investment Advisory Services (BIAS) Ltd.

But Mr. Darrell and representatives from BIAS yesterday expressed concern about Mr. Hector's comments.

"I'm concerned by how the comments could be construed, since reputation is important in my particular profession,'' Mr. Darrell said.

"I am not criminally involved in any way...I was acting as an administrator, and I have assisted Police in apprehending the culprits,'' he added.

And Mark Melvin, one of the partners at BIAS, said BIAS was "not involved in any way other than being an innocent conduit''.

"We were innocent dupes in the same way as was the Bank of Bermuda,'' Mr.

Melvin added.

Bank of Bermuda Senior Vice President Alan Richardson praised BIAS and the Bermuda Fraud Squad for their "diligence and co-operation'' in helping to recover a "substantial'' portion of the money.

But he expressed surprise over Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux's decision, stating: "We are certain the judge considered all the particulars of the case when he imposed the sentence, although we were surprised by the short term Onwusah was given for such a serious offence.''