threatening to sue Premier Pamela Gordon for slander.

Mr. Scott said: "Suffice it to say the matter certainly hasn't been dropped.'' It was his first public statement on the row since the December 17 deadline set for an apology over a "liar row'' passed.

But Mr. Scott, Progressive Labour Party Labour and Home Affairs spokesman, declined to discuss his next moves and referred further questions to his attorney, party press spokesman Michael Scott.

Formal legal proceedings, however, have yet to be launched.

The controversy blew up after Ms Gordon accused Mr. Scott of "a blatant lie'' in a TV interview.

Mr. Scott had claimed in an earlier interview that three Government Ministers were behind the resignation of former Police Commissioner Colin Coxall, who quit at the end of August, several months before his contract was due to expire.

He added that a Minister also met Mr. Coxall to demand the return of a personal document.

But he did not reveal his source or identify any of the Ministers said to be involved.

Mr. Scott, however, insisted that Ms Gordon's comments, made outside the House of Assembly, where all comment is protected, had branded him a liar and demanded an apology.

Ms Gordon, however, told a Press conference on the day of the deadline that she would not be apologising.

She added her lawyers were reviewing the tapes of the interview which caused the war of words.

And she insisted she had no intention of defaming Mr. Scott -- but stuck to her opinion that his claims were untrue.

Ms Gordon -- who said she had spoken to her Cabinet and was satisfied Mr.

Scott's allegations were false -- also challenged Mr. Scott to substantiate his claim or apologise to Cabinet.

Michael Scott could not be contacted for comment yesterday.