Premier Rodney MacDonald says he was hurt by the behaviour of former cabinet minister Ernie Fage, who has been given an indefinite leave from caucus.

"I'm disappointed. I'm also quite frankly not happy," said MacDonald.

Witnesses claim Fage smelled of alcohol when he drove away from a car crash on Nov. 24 in a Volkswagen.

Police knew the Volkswagen was a government car but spent days trying to find the driver. They eventually connected the vehicle to Fage on Nov. 29.

Fage, 53, filed a report with police three days later on Dec. 1.

It then took him another three days to inform the premier's office he had been involved in an accident.

MacDonald claims he only learned the full story behind the accident last Thursday in a newscast report -- but admits he first heard about the crash much earlier.

"It was first raised to me on Dec. 4 by my chief of staff. On Dec. 16, the minister raised it with me on the phone," said MacDonald.

No charges have been filed in the crash. But Halifax Chief of Police Frank Beazley has defended delays in the investigation, saying it's not like an episode of the popular crime show "CSI."

"I can assure the public that there's been no preferential treatment given in this case, nor have we attempted to cover up any aspect of this investigation," said Beazley.

He added that police were involved in several other motor accident investigations, and also had time off during the holidays.

Fage resigned as minister of human resources last week, arguing he didn't want to be a distraction for the government.

The accident happened shortly after midnight. George Myrer and Steve Bezanson, employees with the sports department of the Halifax Chronicle Herald newspaper, were stopped at a traffic light when their vehicle was hit from behind.

Myrer said he and Bezanson got out of their vehicle to talk to the other driver, and that he allegedly could smell alcohol on him. Myrer said he asked the driver for information, but that the man drove off a few minutes later, before police arrived.

Professional photographer David Gamble was driving by the scene and witnessed the crash. He also said he saw the driver leaving the scene.

He followed the driver to a nearby apartment building and took video and photographs using his cellphone.

But the men said neither of them recognized the driver on the night of the accident.

With a report by CTV's Rick Grant and files from The Canadian Press