dealing.

And the fate of its liquor licence will be revealed later this week.

Police have been called on numerous occasions to investigate incidents at the Moonglow bar and restaurant, ranging from a bartender slapping a patron to one customer stabbing another.

St. George's Ch. Insp. Winston Esdaille told the Liquor Licensing Authority that Police also had information that the Water Street premises was used as a "safe haven'' for drug dealers.

Police, he said, therefore strongly objected to the renewal of the nightclub's liquor licence.

Ch. Insp. Esdaille said he had met with the club's owner and manager Mr.

Ronald Furbert several times over the past four years to discuss Police concerns. And, he said, copies of two letters outlining Police concerns to the Commissioner were sent to Mr. Furbert.

Presenting a list of incidents which have occurred at the club over the past year, Ch. Insp. Esdaille said: "These are some serious matters'' which showed that Mr. Furbert was not "a fit and proper person to be entrusted with managing such a club''.

He said between January last year and February this year, Police responded to several reports of assaults, wilful damage and other disruptive behaviour at the club, including a complaint by a female customer that she was slapped across the face by a former bartender.

The tribunal heard that the woman, whose glasses were bent and nose scratched, never showed up when a court date was set. And the matter has been dropped.

But one wounding incident, which occurred at the club last December, was still before the court.

And another in which one customer "narrowly missed'' cutting another customer's jugular vein, resulted in a suspended prison sentence for the attacker.

Ch. Insp. Esdaille said although the club reported many of the incidents, it was reluctant to take action against patrons' misconduct.

But Moonglow's lawyer, Mrs. Ann Cartwright DeCouto, said nightclub operators in general were reluctant to report matters to Police because -- as has been the case recently -- such incidents were used against them.

Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto also hit back at Police claims about drug activity on the premises.

"That is also alleged about Southampton Princess and other establishments around here,'' she said. "I would be interested to hear if Police are seeking to take the (liquor) licence of Southampton Princess.'' Authority chairman the Wor. Will Francis agreed, saying: "In order to show me that the manager because of that was not a fit and proper manager, you would have to show me that he knew someone was coming to his place with drugs and this activity was taking place''.

Mr. Furbert, who spent most of the past year away from the club due to health problems, said he knew nothing about drug dealing and asked Ch. Insp. Esdaille what could be done to stop such activity, if it was happening at the club.

Mr. Furbert said his was also the only establishment in Bermuda to have signs erected inside and outside of his club, stressing: "Absolutely no illegal substance abuse on these premises''.

Having the signs up was "embarrassing'' and scared away some visitors, he said. But it was suggested by Police.

Mr. Furbert also noted that there was a liquor store next door to his premises. And he said people came to Moonglow, which closes at 3 a.m., after drinking at other places.

He said his brother, who is a senior bartender at the club, and his girlfriend, who is a part of the management team, were both "responsible people''.

But Ch. Insp. Esdaille said it was obvious that management at the club was not vigilant enough.

And he suggested that the club should, among other things, beef up security personnel, particularly during the summer months, and have its closing time changed to 1 a.m.

The Authority will hand down its ruling on Thursday.