NIS allegations are part of the machinations by those who try to Deceive & Distort -Luncheon

HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, yesterday dismissed as “nonsense” continuing calls by leaders of some opposition parties for an investigation into investments by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

As he did last month, he maintained that published annual audited statements on the NIS address concerns being raised by Mr. Robert Corbin, Opposition and People’s National Congress Reform leader, and Mr. Raphael Trotman, leader of the small Alliance For Change party.

The reported charges about the state of the NIS were linked to investments of some $30M by the scheme in the Trinidad-based CL Financial (CLICO) group which has been hit by the global financial meltdown.

Luncheon, also Chairman of the NIS board, last month charged that the NIS allegations are part of the machinations by those who try to deceive, distort and use these opportunities to create an image for themselves.

He yesterday said some in the opposition camp are putting out “nonsense” in the media, adding “if the annual statements do not address their concerns about investments by NIS then I don’t know what is going to address their concerns.”

He said audited NIS statements are available for up to 2007 and the calls for an investigation into the scheme are “just another gimmick by those gentlemen”.