CoI 'witch-hunt' continues! Months later Dept Heads being asked for information
Mr Jaspert was labeled as being racist and immature and violating the Virgin Islands Constitution in wanting to stop the local democratically elected Government from carrying out its constitutional mandate.
Sources close to the matter informed our news centre that up until December 2021 and January of this year, the CoI was still requesting information from Government Department Heads.
Info requested long after investigation finished!
It now has raised suspicion among the local and regionally intellectual class that the CoI is looking for specific information to fit its script that the Virgin Islands (VI) is corrupt and needs the colonial power, the United Kingdom (UK), to intervene.
A former Foreign Secretary now Deputy Prime Minister of the UK, Dominic R. Raab, went on the floor of the House of Commons (Parliament) in January of 2021 with a statement repeating slander, libelous and unsubstantiated accusation that the VI was vulnerable to organised crime.
Mr Raab, speaking from a text provided to him by Mr Jaspert, further stated that the issues in the British Overseas Territory “are beyond the local capacity to address”.
Many residents saw that as the code word for UK nationals to come in and displace Virgin Islanders from their jobs, starting first with the police force and other public sector jobs.
We still need more information-CoI
However, months before the report is due (April of 2022, second extension), Department Heads are still being asked for more information. This request for information comes months after the CoI investigations have closed and the public is awaiting the long-overdue report.
The Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie ((R1) and Attorney General Dawn J. Smith have already debunked the CoI’s claims that information requested by the Commission was not forthcoming.
It is unclear at this stage what the CoI has not found. There are widespread speculations that the report will be made-up to place the VI in a negative light and that many of the items raised by the Auditor General will be the focus of the report.
The UK for years has made many attempts to recolonise the VI; however successive governments have resisted.
Hypocrites & double standards?
The CoI was also embroiled in controversy when the Attorney General agreed that three of its lawyers Bilal M. Rawat, Rhea Harrikisoon, and Andrew King were working illegally in the Territory, as they were in violation of the Legal and Professions Act 2015 during the CoI.
Speaker of the House of Assembly (HoA) Hon Julian Willock filed on behalf of the HoA an injunction to stop the three Attorneys from working illegally, but later withdrew it.
A British Judge Adrian Jack, who some claimed is a friend of Governor John J. Rankin and Mr Gary R. Hickenbottom, ruled that the Speaker must pay for costs out of pocket, a decision condemned by many in the legal and political class.
While Hon Willock has been ordered to pay court costs out of pocket, the UK Parliament exempt/indemnified all UK nationals directly involved in the CoI from being sued in their personal capacity or having to pay costs in their private capacity of anything relating to the UK imposed CoI.
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36 Responses to “CoI 'witch-hunt' continues! Months later Dept Heads being asked for information”
Doesn't the continual occurrence of murder that goes unsolved raise a red flag. What about the sub par state of the infrastructure and poor service standards of the public service. What about the failure to prioritize programs and projects for maximum benefit to the territory. It is obvious that there are issues that are beyond the local capacity to address. Gus is right we cannot continue on the same course. There is simply too much at stake here. The Virgin Islands have out grown the mentality of its people. There is need for urgent corrective measures if we are to get back in gear.
"The Virgin Islands have out grown the mentality of its people."
I wholeheartedly disagree. Those are basically racist statements but you & others are too ignorant to see or you would not write such hateful material which is also a lie. Now that we're on the up & up (yes we are) your saying we're too stupid to handle our problems ourselves. Murder & STABBINGS are happening all over the globe. As if there is a fault with our race that precludes it from producing intelligent individuals & capable leaders.
If its at all possible for the VI to 'outgrow the mentality of its people' then by your logic they should stop letting in so many who dont share our culture. hmmmm see how this works.
The CoI is not on a "witch-hunt as some are saying. The CoI is on mission hunt to help enlightened us on how a large amount of our finances have been misspent by our employees, that act like they are our bosses after they were elected to ministerial offices.
see how the SMT circumvents the force policies to suit their cronies. . Now promotion brid
How can they want what they own you people must think before you write your comments.
So many ppl have been complaining to the HR department, the ministry and the minister and nothing is being done. This is why the ppl that work at PWD are called lazy because they are fed up of not being listen to about the BS that goes on in that department.