Formal complaint lodged against Gov Rankin by UK Law Firm
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A UK Law firm, Stokoe Partnership Solicitors acting on behalf of Mr. Clyde K. Chalwell the proprietor of EZ Shipping has written to the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, The Rt Hon. James S. Cleverly, MP to formally complain against Governor Rankin.
Mr Rankin has no regards for the VI Constitution?
The complaint alleged that Governor Rankin is in violation of some important tenets of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007. These include - Article 12: Equality before the law, Article 16: Provisions to secure protection of law, including in respect of any criminal charge, the right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time, and Article 19: Protection of private and family life and privacy of home and other property.
The Governor's conduct as an unelected foreign diplomatic is covered according to the formal complaint by “The Diplomatic Service Code, which requires all diplomatic service members to conduct themselves with integrity, honesty, objectivity, and impartiality.”
The complaint emanates from a press conference Governor Rankin held on March 3, 2022, where he was questioned about his role in national security issues and reportedly made biased comments about EZ Shipping.
According to the UK-based Law Firm, the substance of their client's complaint concerns the two major statements by Governor Ranking in the same press conference. In the first, the Governor states, "I leave others to speculate as to why the former Premier might have been so opposed to what was the deployment of the more effective method for deterring activity in the waters."
The Law firm noted that in context, “this statement is a deliberate attempt to insinuate misconduct on behalf of our client.”
Ranking biased? Taking a side Over EZ Shipping?
Another issue raised by the Law Firm Stokoe Partnership Solicitors shows alleged bias by Mr. Rankin was when he stated that the EZ shipping report had been sent to the Director of Public Persecution and Police "to assess whether any offenses were committed" concerning the contract.
The phrase said by Governor Ranking in his press conference, "I will leave others to speculate" is a well-trodden path of saying something by pretending not to say it. It is a dog whistle to those listening, the complaint alleged.
In reality, the Governor is not leaving it to others to speculate at all but himself, alleging that the former Premier's Andrew A. Fahie's opposition to the deployment of HMS Medway was for an improper reason. The insinuation concerning Mr Fahie's motives directly impacts our client, the formal complaint stated.
The Law Firm noted that “the attack is premised on the insinuation that Mr Fahie's motive for rejecting the HMS Medway option was improper.” Given the public allegation that the $1.2m our client's company received through the contracts to supply the radar barges 'was "unearned.
Governor Ranking trying to influence the outcome?
The complaint strongly noted that these types of comments from Mr. Ranking in his public press conference is “a clear attempt to bridge the alleged criminal activity of Mr Fahie and the funds received by EZ Shipping.”
We submit that these comments by the Governor amounted to “an improper intervention in the investigative process. Another portion of the complaint relates to the following comments - "And when in the presentation I saw about the use of the barges, I was frankly immediately unconvinced as to their effectiveness". This comment amounts to the Governor giving evidence of his opinion in a press conference when the subject matter had been referred to the relevant authorities for an investigation into potential civil recovery proceedings and/or criminal prosecution the complaint letter stated.
Stokoe Partnership Solicitors stated that, “this was clearly not the time or the place for the Governor to give his personal opinion. We submit this comment was entirely inappropriate and represented the Governor descending into the arena' when it was not his place to do so," according to the attached letter.
Government stands by the EZ Shipping Contact
At a debate in the House of Assembly (HoA) in 2022 over the Audit General’s Ms. Sonia M. Webster's report on the EZ Shipping contract, most members of the HoA lambasted the Auditor General's report as being one-sided and not credible for not interviewing anyone from EZ Shipping.
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) strongly defended the good works of EZ Shipping and stated the money the government spent was below market value for the works in the contract done by EZ Shipping.
See the attached letter here.
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They are not our gods and saviours. It’s Time to Pushback at these Devils.
These people are bad news for the BVI. Both the present and past Governors and Police Commissioners. They view us as beneath them and inferior to them. If we don’t take heed now, we will eventually end up in an apartheid environment with our human and constitutional rights being violated at every angle.
Say No! We Will Take No More!
These people too, must be held accountable.
That is a UK and colonial strategy!!
This same ship or others like it have came to the BVI practically unannounced numerous times!!
All they wanted was an excuse to say our people are encouraging wrong doing by not accepting the ship. If they want to send the ship they will send it. If they want to send helicopters or missiles they will send it. Look at all the innocents dying in Ukraine & Gaza.
They do not care about people! They were slave masters & profited heavily from suffering. They pumped china full of opium & fought a war to keep them addicted. They burned their witches at the stake.
They care about holding on to power & holding on to colonialism & holding on to their ruined empire & aspirations of world domination.
Vino be careful they ploting against you they have you on there hit list these w**** UK officers are deadly
Politicians are useless. MR CHALWELL thank you.
“It is not the practice of the Governor’s Office to comment on personal correspondence received.” (This is him commenting and dealing with the email of the Commissioner of Police pertaining to the alleged destroying of evidence).
"And when in the presentation I saw about the use of the barges, I was frankly immediately unconvinced as to their effectiveness". (This is him now all of sudden can make a determination with the barges without a thorough review and investigation).
People of the BVI these people have no regards for the people of the BVI and our rights and reputations. They intend to paint us black at all cost to try to justify they high handedness to the international world while at the same time turn a blind eye to the potential wrongs of their people and themselves at all cost. He cannot take a position on the email which is clearer than looking at the barges. Where can the people go to get transparency and fairness. This is troublesome. This is going to cause a revolution.
In the letter confirmed by the Premier, Hon Fahie told Sugg on September 25, 2020, that he was dissatisfied and outraged with the hijacking of the Territory’s sea border by Governor Jaspert.
The Premier said the Governor’s decision was made based on a “grossly inaccurate and exaggerated misrepresentation” of the capabilities of the VI’s resources to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Governor Jaspert’s intention to deliberately bulldoze the elected Government is pellucidly clear as he has issued a public statement at 6 pm local time today, 25 September 2020,” he noted.
The Premier said the Governor's statement essentially informed the public that, “the UK Government would be providing various things which my Government and I have not asked for and which we advised him of our objection to in the format in which he is proceeding to act.”
The Governor in his missive to the public had announced, amongst other plans; that against the orders of the Premier, a UK Military Navy Ship, ‘HMS Medway’, would return to the Territory to provide border security support.
The Governor’s unilateral decision came even as the Fahie Administration had strengthened its collaborations with the US Virgin Islands (USVI) on border security and utilised local vessels to patrol VI’s waters through a joint task force comprising officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), the Immigration Department and Her Majesty’s Customs, a move that has been very effective in keeping the borders secured.
The Premier said that the Governor’s decisions were made even though he penned Mr Jaspert on three occasions; September 15, 23 and 24 September 2020, informing him that the VI wants to develop the capacity to manage its own border security affairs with limited UK military assistance.
“I have been very clear that from a cultural perspective, the people of the Virgin Islands see a role for the UK Military in assisting certain aspects of our border protection strategy, but because of the desire to develop our domestic capabilities the invitation for UK Military assistance is limited to certain functions,” Premier Fahie said."
WHERE IS FORMER PREMIER NOW...SMH.
The Commissioner lied about the reason he told the officers to destroy the evidence and there is more than enoigh prof that he is lying but you all are not doing anything.
The person that blogs as Rubber Dock only talk poopoo. Look at the first question ask by him/ her in the article sent by a concetn "I wonder who is this concern citizen ".
Stop talking. There are many civil action that be taken against the COP and the Governor without having to go to court and without violence.
(1) "I leave others to speculate as to why the former Premier might have been so opposed to what was the deployment of the more effective method for deterring activity in the waters."
(2) ...the EZ shipping report had been sent to the Director of Public Persecution and Police "to assess whether any offenses were committed" concerning the contract.
In the first statement the Governor seemed to be pushing back at a reporter who wanted him to speculate about Fahie's motives, although he did seem to show bias by suggesting the ship was the better option. In the second statement, I'm sure he had looked at the conclusions in the Auditor's report, and made a decision to have any allegations investigated (he would be negligent if he did not).
It looks like complaint based on these two statements will achieve nothing, except lucrative fees for the law firm.
JudgeJury Public Opinion will be prejudiced against Andrew no matter what.
Planting seeds of doubt and distrust at the crucial moment just in time to coincidecwith Fahie's hearing.
He can't win and neither will the VI.
your passport clearly says british overseas territory citizenship
what we need to do is become more unified and and stop bad talking each other
back in the days the governors did not have as much chat as they have now
Derick George Cudmore was the first Governor of this territory. He had authority as a governor but not that much chat
I recall the protest our people had against Governor Cudmore went down to the White House
Now all our people do are talkshow(joke business
In regards to the concern citizen request for an investigation on Mark Collin performance, Mount Olympus which is accountable only unto itself and having carte blanche to do as it wants and needs will never let this complaint move off top dead center and see the light of day. The Guv will pontificate that he looked into the concern and there is to see there and colonialism racial superiority cabal will force it to die a slow, frustrating death, as Guv who has a few days left on his tropical preretirement vacation in the BVI at the BVI taxpayers expense.
Furthermore, as a point of reference, the Barbados Slave Code of 1661, which other islands also adopted, stipulated that a slave/black person could not give testimony in court against a white person or even change in front of white person or even look a white in the eye. Slaves and Blacks were an inferior species and cast as a permanentservike underclass and all actions taken to keep them in that position. Let’s forget that slaves are property and masters could do whatever he/she wants with property without consequences. The rare exception was white planter/legislator/slave owner Arthur Hodge who murdered Prosper, a slave, for either letting a mango fall on the ground or picking up a mango from the ground. Arthur Hodge used the slave-property defense at his trial, but lost; he was convicted by a jury of other white planters, his peers, of murder, sentenced to be hanged and was hanged. This case made history, creating some concerns and nervousness among slave owners, for it was the first and only time in the institution of slavery history in the West Indies and elsewhere that a slave master was hung for murdering a slave, though it should have happened more. In regards to the request, it will be summarily dismissed, for lack of objective evidence.
Disunity, complacency, contentment, ‘ I got mine mentality and mindset among many Virgin Islanders is emboldening Mount Olympus to do as it wants, how it wants, when it wants , where and to whom it wants. In the 1940s, administrator John Augustus Cockburn Cruikshank was acting in an absolutist manner. Nonetheless, the unity and group effort among Virgin Islanders led by Anegadian fisherman Theodolph Faulkner through peaceful agitation, protests, etc effected change, ie, reinstating the legislature, attaining a modern constitution, adult suffrage, locals direct voting, etc. That Virgin Islanders fight and rugged individualism have been lost, leading to a reawakening of colonialism.
But Fahie your in for a wile,sorry
More digging so the Governor can defend his position . Plenty thing will be digged into and more things unearthed.
Who knows what investigators will find when Governor get his team to defend his reasons for doing what he did .
A can of worms will open up
Protesters heckle Dutch royals at Cape Town slavery museum. Search -https://www.dw.com/en/protesters-heckle-dutch-royals-at-cape-town-slavery-museum/a-67169255