The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

FNM Senator Zhivargo Laing has dismissed claims that the former administration was biased in its prosecution of National Insurance violators.

Reports yesterday quoted National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson as saying he will bring to Parliament a

report on employers who owe contributions to the National Insurance Board, but were not taken to court under the FNM administration.

He said his report will show which employers owe contributions, which ones were recommended and not recommended for prosecution, and those who were prosecuted.

With this list, he said, he will allow the public to decide whether the prosecutions were done fairly.

Mr Laing said yesterday that Mr Gibson “can go ahead and produce whatever report” he has.

“Prosecutions under the Ingraham administration by National Insurance were not supervised, managed, or handled by the government,” he said.

“It was the National Insurance Board. They determined who they would prosecute. That’s the reality. So he (Mr Gibson) can go ahead and do whatever he wishes.”

Mr Gibson explained that National Insurance contributions increased in 2011 when Algernon Cargill became director but that was due to an increase of the insurable wage ceiling.

When asked if the Board or Mr Cargill, rather than the government, was not “fair” in prosecutions, Mr Laing explained he believes those in charge did their jobs well.

“I’m very satisfied how Mr Cargill operated in respect to prosecutions,” he said. “And the Board – or whoever was responsible for it, professionally. I’m satisfied with respect to that.”