the `officials' who were referred to as being under probe by Miami investigators for suspected drug importation.

The article in yesterday's Royal Gazette stated how a source disclosed that Bermuda officials were the main focus of investigation soon after the seven Bermuda players were arrested at the Miami International Airport. The story did not state specifically what officials were under suspicion.

BFA chief hits out at Royal Gazette "The Bermuda Football Association deplores the story on the front page of this morning's Royal Gazette , alleging that `Bermuda officials' might have been involved somehow with the drugs which were found by US Customs in Miami last week,'' the BFA president Mr. Richard Thompson said in a Press release yesterday.

"Although the story did not specifically say so, everyone will assume BFA officials are the ones referred to. That is an outrageous allegation, an outrageous slur on the character of all of us in the BFA.

"I can categorically and absolutely deny that any officer of this organisation was in any way involved in this incident. Had there been any such suspicion, the Police would have been on us like white on rice, as the saying goes.

"Instead they have confirmed to us this morning that none of our officials are under investigation or under suspicion.'' Continued Thompson in the release: "Your story quoted one unnamed source who you describe as being `close to the enquiry'. I cannot imagine who that might be, or even what enquiry it is that he or she is close to, but whoever it is seems to have been allowed by your reporter simply to have tossed the suggestions out without backing it up with a single fact.

"I am surprised that a newspaper like yours would print something like that from an anonymous source, without some further evidence that it might be true, and without asking the Police about it.

"The interesting thing is that story appears on the front page. On the editorial page your editor is warning people not to jump to irresponsible conclusions about guilt. I just cannot reconcile the two -- doesn't the editor believe in practising what he preaches.''