Senator Slams ‘Shameless’ PNP Attempts to ‘Hoodwink’ Public Over SSL Insurance Notices

Government senator, Abka Fitz-Henley, is describing as shameless the latest stance of the Opposition People’s National Party, PNP, and former finance minister, Dr. Peter Phillips, who’ve cited insurance related notices to support the claim that they took action to protect investors from fraud at discredited brokerage house Stocks and Securities Limited, SSL.

In a story carried on Tuesday by the Gleaner, Dr. Phillips refers to three notices published by the Financial Services Commission in 2013, as proof of action taken by the PNP-administration to protect investors from rampant fraud at SSL.

But in a response on Tuesday morning, Senator Fitz-Henley says the notices reportedly published by the regulator told the public what was already known, that SSL did not have an insurance licence.

He says one of the referenced notices only indicated that another institution was asked to assist with the management of some investments.

Senator Fitz-Henley notes that a confession statement authorised by a Justice of the Peace and widely circulated in the public domain indicates that rampant fraud at SSL began and escalated in around 2012 and 2013.

He notes that it has also been widely reported that as soon as clients monies were sent to SSL, the monies were not invested, but stolen.

Senator Fitz-Henley says for the PNP to cite insurance-related notices by the regulator which essentially told the public what was already known as evidence of steps taken to protect investors from rampant fraud is brazen.

He’s calling on the PNP to desist from their attempts to hoodwink the people of Jamaica into believing they had no part to play in the debacle at SSL.