Former Legislator Myron V. Walwyn said it was the ‘nature of the beast’ for accusations to be peddled in the media, even as he sought to bring a different style of politics and to inform the Virgin Islands (VI) on things and allow them to decide. Photo: Facebook

Further defending his staff, Mr Walwyn noted that they were honest, decent, hard-working people, who just wanted to do good for the country in whatever capacity they served in. Photo: Facebook

Portions of the Elmore Stoutt High School did not survive the floods and Hurricanes of 2017. Photo: Team of Reporters

In her report, the AG noted that there was “no value for money, workers being paid for which was not done,” and blatant violations of the law, in particular the 'Public Finance Management Regulations.' Photo: VINO/File

Host Mrs Christopher has charged that it has certainly left a ‘stain’ on his name, “When you hear your name, there is a big stain about a wall, and you know I have to bring it up, this million-dollar wall… that almost landed you in jail."

‘Nature of the Beast’ – Walwyn

According to Walwyn, ‘I know to myself that I have been honest in all my dealing since I have been in office. I haven’t lost sleep one night over that. What I did do, and I stood up for, was my staff and the people who I knew were working with me,” he said on the Wednesday, March 18, 2020, edition of the show.

Mr Walwyn said it was the ‘nature of the beast’ for accusations like that to be peddled in the media, even as he sought to bring a different style of politics, which was to keep the Virgin Islands (VI) informed and allow the people to decide.

‘I don’t think if you are really in public service to serve, that you have to go down that road. If you go down that road of misleading people, misrepresenting things, going to people’s houses during campaign and saying the nastiest things, it says to me that nobody don’t do them kinds of things to serve,” he said.

Further defending his staff, Mr Walwyn noted that they were honest, decent, hard-working people, who just wanted to do good for the country in whatever capacity they served in.

“If you can’t defend and support some of the people who are closest to you, and who enable you to get the things done that you are trying to do, then you can’t stand up for anybody else.”

Wall Investigation Report

Turning his attention to the ESHS wall report by Auditor General (AG) Ms Sonia M. Webster, in which she stated that there was “no value for money, workers being paid for work not done," in addition to blatant violations of the law, Mr Walwyn said he is aware of the contents of the report.

“I don’t agree with it in many respects, and that is still my position, but it is what it is. I certainly respect the role that the Auditor General and all the other persons who were involved,” he said.

As part of the wall probe, the report noted that the Treasury records also indicated that the contractors were all “paid in full,” for incomplete work.

In addition, despite the price tag of $1.6M, the AG in her special report noted that “No contracts were issued for rail/paint work on 14 wall segments. This area is therefore incomplete with approximately 20 wall sections that are unpainted and without rails.”

Blatant disregard of Financial laws

Mr Walwyn also allegedly broke the law, as he was said to be in violation of the Government’s Public Finance Management Regulations, where it “requires government officers to obtain a list of pre-qualified contractors from the Ministry of Finance for procurement services and construction works where there has been no tender process,” which was not followed, the report said.

With a deliberate attempt to keep other government agencies out, according to the report, Mr Walwyn also hired SA Architects and the Auditor-General noted that the Ministry of Finance Project Management Unit was not engaged “despite Cabinet’s requirement that the Ministry should involve this Unit to assist with the Management of the project.”

The Ministry for Education and Culture defied Cabinet and had SA Architect, “perform all technical aspects of the project and provided supervision of its implementation” Ms Webster wrote.

The AG also concluded that the ESHS wall project was shabby work, “inconsistencies were also noted in the rendering of the wall, in some areas the block wall was visible through the unpainted plaster.”

The decisive word on the case is expected now that the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) has placed its final investigation report into the hands of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for possible charges to be laid.

Things Could Have Been Done Different – Walwyn

Amidst the controversy, Mr Walwyn admitted that in the ESHS wall project, things could have been done better, "Was there any dishonesty? Absolutely from where I sit, I know certainly not with Myron and the people that I worked with… these are good, decent, hard-working people,” he said.

Mr Walwyn named Steve Augustine of SA Architect, Lorna Stephens and his former Permanent Secretary Dr Marcia Potter as all having roles in the wall project and said he remains positive that he will not spend any time in jail over the project.