business interests in a deal involving former banker Arnold Todd.

And Frederick Hendrickson, 75, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, who owned F.L.

Hendrickson Company, told Supreme Court he had nothing to do with the setting up of F.L. Enterprises in the mid-80s.

He said: "As far as I am concerned, I never tried to get into any other business after I retired -- I always said I would never go into any other business again.'' Mr. Hendrickson told Crown counsel Michael Pert that he decided to slow down when he reached 65 and said that he had talked to Todd.

He agreed with Mr. Pert that Todd and he came to an arrangement where Todd would act as agent for his ten apartments on the Island.

Mr. Hendrickson added that he and Todd had also agreed that Todd would take care of his building company.

But he insisted: "I did not negotiate to sell my building equipment or my business to anyone. Mr. Todd was supposed to take over everything, not sell.'' Mr. Hendrickson agreed that legal documents signed by him showed that the building company had become part of F.L. Enterprises, of which he had been appointed chairman at a board meeting in the law offices of Charles Vaucrosson, who was appointed company secretary.

But he insisted he had never attended a meeting at the law offices and said he could prove he was not even in Bermuda at the time.

He said: "I never attended a meeting at Vaucrosson's or chaired a meeting.'' Mr. Hendrickson identified several documents, including one to incorporate F.L. Enterprises, as bearing his signature and naming directors of the firm.

But he said: "I couldn't tell you how it happened, but right from your first page, F.L. Enterprises, that isn't my baby.'' He added he had signed several documents in the course of his business dealings -- but insisted he had "not knowingly'' signed documents in connection with F.L. Enterprises.

He added: "The only person I ever sat with and made arrangements for my construction business was Mr. Arnold Todd.'' And he suggested that some of the documents bore his signature on the last, almost blank, page and suggested two separate documents could have been "put together'' later. Mr. Hendrickson was speaking as the trial of Todd and three others entered its third week.

Todd's defence counsel, English barrister John Perry, suggested that Mr.

Hendrickson had "simply forgotten'' the details of his business dealings.

But Mr. Hendrickson snapped back: "I'm 75-years-old and I just had my last check-up and my doctor didn't tell me I was getting Alzheimer's or anything like that.'' Mr. Hendrickson agreed that two separate bank employees had witnessed his signature on legal documents and that a share cerificate in F.L. Enterprises -- which was clearly identifiable -- had been signed by him.

Mr. Perry questioned Mr. Hendrickson on three lots of land he owned in the Town Hill area of Flatts Village.

Mr. Hendrickson said he had struck a deal with Todd for the first of the three lots. He admitted he had received $20,000 and that a house had been built there.

He added the $20,000 was a part-payment -- with Todd having first call on the other two lots. Mr. Hendrickson said: "The total on the three lots was supposed to be $375,000. I said `before we go any further, on the other two lots, we will settle the first lot' and that's where it got bogged down.''