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NDP Cabinet upset over leaks!
One source told Virgin Islands News Online that at recent Cabinet meetings the topic was raised with one Minister leading the charge and directing his anger against one news site. It appears that the Minister, “hates one particular news site and continues to speak with much anger about the site and wishes that the site could be closed,” the source said.
The same source did not disclose the name of the Minister but confirmed it was one of the “rookie elected ones” and reported that the same Minister was critical of the same news site during the current 2012 Standing Finance Committee meetings and on Wednesday of this week at a National Democratic Party (NDP) meeting in Road Town.
Since the NDP took office in November of 2011, online news sites and other media houses have been breaking stories about different aspect of decisions made by the Orlando Smith Administration.
Leaks this year
One online news site for example broke a story that Guy Malone had been tipped to be the new Chief Executive Officer of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, however, no official announcement has been made by Government. The same online news site which is Virgin Islands News Online main competitor also carried a breaking news story that Vance Lewis, a former General Manager of Cable and Wireless, now LIME, was expected to be contracted as a consultant to the Ministry of Communications and Works.
To date, no announcement has been made by the Minister on this news report.Very recently, both BVI Platinum News and this news site broke the news of the newly designated Chairman of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee Marvin Blyden before any official announcement was made by Government.
It is unclear whether these are some of the leaks that have Cabinet fuming and made them allegedly asked both the United Kingdom appointed Governor William Boyd McCleary and the Cabinet Secretary Sandra Ward to look into leaks and the confidentiality of certain government information, in particular Cabinet papers and meetings.
It is also reported that some Permanent Secretaries had meetings with their staff to warn them about leaking information to the press.
John E. Leonard, the General and Marketing Manager of Virgin Islands News Online said, “leaks in government are nothing new, however, I do not subscribe to the word “leaks” as it is just investigative reporting, the media doing its job!…each media house has their sources and it’s the nature of the business…it happens with major news services all over the world”.
Leonard went on to state, “we live in an information age and we live in a democratic society and unless it is something that has national security implications, I am not sure why this government should be upset, as the former government had to also endure the same leaks”.
Leonard said, “I can speak with confidence for this news site; we will maintain our well established reputation of being accurate, fair, balance and objective while bringing our readers the news they may not always obtain from our elected government in a timely manner.”
History of leaks between 2007-2011
Issues of leaks are nothing new in the Virgin Islands media culture and on the talk shows and the now opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP) had to endure its own leaks. We all remembered the infamous letter from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), a highly classified letter to the former Premier Ralph T. O’Neal OBE on the question of Biwater contingent liability and days before Mr. O’Neal had sight of the letter it was on the streets of Road Town and on the talk shows.
It was even reported that one person had the letter downloaded and scanned to their Ipad and was showing persons the confidential FCO diplomatic letter. When the story broke, Mr. O’Neal reported on a radio show that he had called Mark Vanterpool now Minister for Communications and Works to ask, if it was him that had the letter on his Ipad.
One senior officer, a Permanent Secretary, retired prematurely over the leaked letter but was quickly returned to office once the NDP Administration took power.
Early last year, Lorie Rymer, a businessman and independent candidate for the 9th district seat, who was speaking at a community meeting on Virgin Gorda at the Ashford Walters Community Centre on Saturday April 30, 2011, made reference of the document that was signed by then Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Hon. Omar W. Hodge for the importation of Lemurs to Necker Island which he had obtained, even before the former Minister Hodge had made the information public.
Furthermore, many of the correspondence between Sir Richard Branson, a UK businessman, were leaked to the media, to talk shows and some individuals. Mr. Rymer even boasted of having a copy of the permit signed granting permission to import the Lemurs, and implied that civil servants continue to leak information when the VIP was in power.
Under the VIP Government, there were many leaks coming out of the Ministry of Education and Culture from cabinet papers, confidential letters between the then Minister Andrew A. Fahie and his former Permanent Secretary Carolyn O’Neal, movement of civil servants within the Ministry, and Public Service Commission recommendations for officers within the same Ministry, and the cost of some contracts even before they were signed and made public.
While the former Minister was very concerned over the leaks, Mr. Fahie never singled out any media house, nor advocated the closure of any online news site or taking any talk show off the air.
During the recent election campaign, one NDP candidate seeking the 3rd district seat Kevin Smith had told the public that he had seen a copy of a Purchase Order (PO) on the Sea Cows Bay Harbour project, a PO signed between government and a private contractor. It is unclear whether the Purchase Order was leaked from the Ministry for Communications and Works or a contractor. The then former Minister Julian Fraser RA, never called for an investigation nor threatened the staff of the Ministry over the matter.
Virgin Islands News Online has found many other leaked confidential information while the VIP was in power that usually was the topic for some talk shows. One talk show host who wish to remain anonymous said, “There should be nothing private about government business...the NDP are acting like children with something to hide...if they make any attempt to censor the media that will be the beginning of the end for them”.
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