PROFESSOR DAS Gupta, head of the Pesticide Research Laboratory at the University of the West Indies, yesterday testified that new tests done on samples from Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer found no trace of cypermethrin.

The India-born Gupta was one of three persons who gave testimony on the 19th day of the coroner's inquest into the former England player's death at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

Professor Gupta, who worked in the Chemistry Department of the University of the West Indies' Mona campus for over 30 years, said he and colleague Raymond Reid conducted the tests there last Saturday on blood samples, bile and tissue.

"No cypermethrin was found in the adequate samples from the forensic lab, and I must say that these tests were done in the presence of Marcia Dunbar," Professor Gupta said.

Ms. Dunbar, a senior analyst at the Government Forensic Science Laboratory, testified in October that she saw cypermethrin in Woolmer's blood and stomach contents.

Coates' testimony

Last Thursday, Fitzmore Coates, acting chief forensic officer at the government laboratory, said there was so much cypermethrin in Woolmer's system that it could have caused his death.

Yesterday, Professor Gupta said Coates' analysis was flawed.

"I found his data very puzzling and his analysis was not proper," said Professor Gupta.

He admitted that the samples may have been considerably degraded during the time they were first tested in March and when he conducted his tests.

Professor Gupta said he received eight samples from Woolmer's body from the government laboratory on November 6, and another five from the United Kingdom the following day.

He said three samples from the local lab and three from the Forensic Science Service in London, were too inadequate to analyse.

Independent test

The difference in results from the labs in Kingston, London, and by toxicologist Patrick Best at the Barbados Forensic Centre, prompted Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields to order an independent test by Professor Gupta.

Best testified seeing cypermethrin in the former England player's stomach contents, as well as a straw-coloured liquid found in his hotel room.

A test done by British forensic scientist John Slaughter on a sample of Woolmer's blood at the Forensic Science Service in London in May yielded no cypermethrin.

Woolmer was found motionless in the bathroom of his hotel room at the Jamaica Pegasus on March 18.

He was pronounced dead later that day at the University Hospital of the West Indies. One day earlier, Pakistan were eliminated from the Cricket World Cup by unheralded Ireland.