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Is Gov Duncan in hiding over Ports Project CoI?
The jury is still out on whether he can be relied upon on any of those important issues.
Background on Commission of Inquiry on Ports
Weeks after the Governor arrived in the Virgin Islands (VI) in August of 2014 he told a handpicked set of reporters that he will make a decision on a Commission of Inquiry (COI) before the end of the same year.
In a subsequent interview with this news site, he confirmed to do so by the end of 2014. However, he left a window open that certainly by January 2015 he would make his announcement. As of today, some three months into the year, he has failed to keep his word to the people.
The CoI was requested following two reports, one by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) led by Opposition Leader Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE and the other by VI Auditor General Sonia M. Webster.
What will he look for?
The Governor also made it clear to this news site last year that his investigation will go deeper than the two reports because the allegations are serious.
Governor Duncan said he would look for those who blatantly violated the tender process and whether the violations were because people didn’t know what those procedures were or whether people attempted to circumvent the procedures. Further, if they did try to circumvent the procedures the Governor said he intended to find out why they did it. The other question of whether any of the circumventions were for personal gain was also a concern the Governor told this news site he would look into.
Duncan under fire for shifting focus
Instead of focusing on the serious matter at hand-the COI on the Ports Development Project- the Governor claimed he also wanted to look into two other projects at the same time- the Greenhouse and the Sea Cows Bay Harbour Projects.
However, talk show host Sam J. Henry blasted Governor Duncan on this, saying that the Governor is playing politics and those projects have not gone thought the correct procedure of the Public Accounts Committee for their own investigations. Mr Henry, a popular talk show host, said that the Governor was mixing up apples and oranges and should focus on the Ports Development Project, which had the scrutiny of two independent reports.
Duncan’s latest position
In a telephone call to the Governor’s Office on Wednesday March 4, 2015 of this week, Mr Duncan now maintained that he will have a decision and announcement in a matter of weeks. This is what he told our news room last month and, through his office, has maintained that position.
However, there is lot of public discontentment over his flip-flopping on this issue and one talk show host, Edmund G. Maduro, has even called for Governor Duncan’s removal from office. Mr Maduro, a former Chief Immigration Officer, said the Governor is obligated to carry out the request of the PAC, a constitutional body with members from both Government and Opposition.
Two reports on Ports project make same conclusion
There have been two reports/investigations carried out on the Ports Development Project. The first was done by the Auditor General Ms Sonia M. Webster in the Auditor General Report dated January 31, 2013.
The second was by the five-member Public Accounts Committee with Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal OBE as the Chairman.
Both reports’ conclusion were the same in that they unearthed corruption, conflict of interest, disregard for the laws of the Virgin Islands, unfair practices, undue influence in favour of one developer, disregard for the established tendering process and found that no one was looking out for the interest of the people and taxpayers of the Virgin Islands, putting the people at a disadvantage.
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35 Responses to “Is Gov Duncan in hiding over Ports Project CoI?”
Hush your thieving "$$ trying to justify…you should be in jail…for stealing the people money
Looking into several cases at once will not allow for a thorough investigation of any of them in depth.
One at a time, Governor. This smacks of "spin doctors" while the cruise project races forward. It is anti-democratic, and not good governance, let alone lacking transparency. And we are left with something that will change the character of BVI forever!
Pat you, dog and sherry will get the $h1tting and a heart attack when the Governor makes his statement. There is NOTHING THERE! Your hatred for NDP will make you sick. You never asked for the Governor to intervene when VIP was there wasting millions but all of a sudden he should? Take a drive out by the pier and see PROGRESS!!!!!
He's been busy getting things ready to d....ve House of Assembly !