Premier Alex Scott was not Premier in 2002, so it would be "foolhardy" of him to comment on the allegation that Deputy Premier Ewart Brown was involved in a pay-to-play scandal that year, Director of Communication and Information Beverle Lottimore said yesterday.

"This is something that needs to be referred to Minister Brown," Ms Lottimore told yesterday. Former Premier Jennifer Smith should be contacted regarding "what Government did or did not know" at the time of the Washington luncheon in March of 2002, she added.

However when asked again for a comment from the Premier regarding the situation now, she said: "It is not for him to respond to allegations from 2002 ... If there is something to the allegations, the Premier must then address it".

Until the allegations are substantiated, however, she said it would be "foolhardy" of Mr. Scott to comment. "He was not even the Premier of this country ... and Dr. Brown was not yet Deputy Premier," she insisted.

The Mid-Ocean News quoted former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawyer Edward Siedle, an expert pension fund investigator, on the Washington luncheon yesterday.

The guests ? allegedly current and potential money managers and stockbrokers for the Bermuda pension funds ? who paid $2,500 into Dr. Brown's personal campaign expenses to attend the luncheon arranged by Government's pension fund consultant, Tina Poitevien, could be in violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Mr. Siedle said.

A statement from Ms Poitevien, made through a spokesperson on Thursday, said that the majority of the guests were close, personal friends of Dr. Brown and his then-fianc?e (now wife) Wanda Henton, and made their contributions to Dr. Brown's 2003 General Election campaign on the basis of that friendship ? not because of their link to any US companies.

Dr. Brown is maintaining his silence on the issue after meeting with lawyers last week.