UPDATE: ‘No need for COI on ports or other projects!’ Gov John S. Duncan
He made the announcement in a televised broadcast heard this evening March 17, 2015 on JTV Channel 55 and on ZBVI 780 AM radio.
“Having considered in detail the Public Account Committee’s report, the report of the Auditor General, the comments of my predecessor Governor [William Boyd] McCleary and having taken account of the studies of the Caribbean Development Bank and the independent consultant, I see no useful purpose to commission a further inquiry into the ports project or any of the other projects mentioned above,” he said.
We will bring you a more detailed report in a subsequent article.
See previous article published on March 16, 2015:
Governor to break silence on cruise pier project tomorrow
- Public expecting word on whether Commission of Inquiry will be conducted
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Governor of the Virgin Islands His Excellency John S. Duncan OBE is to make an announcement on the cruise pier development project tomorrow evening March 17, 2015 where it is expected that he says whether or not he will initiate a Commission of Inquiry into the project.
A notification of the Governor’s pending announcement came from the Government Information Service (GIS) today March 16, 2015.
The notification said: “His Excellency the Governor Mr John S. Duncan, OBE will deliver a statement on the Cruise Pier Project on Tuesday, March 17.
The statement will be aired on ZBVI Radio and on JTV Channel 55 on Tuesday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m. It will be repeated on ZBVI Radio on Wednesday morning at 8:10 a.m. and periodically on JTV Channel 55 and H. Lavity Stoutt Community College Channel 52. The public is invited to listen to the broadcast.
Alternatively, the full message will be available online at www.bvi.gov.vg and on www.gov.uk/government/world/british-virgin-islands.”
The Governor’s announcement comes months after he said during an interview that he would have been making an announcement on whether a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) would be establised to investigate allegations of corruption, among other things, on the Cruise Pier Development Project. He had initially said he would make the announcement by the end of December 2014. He had; however, left a small window for it to be after this time, saying that it could come into the new 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 Virgin Islands Auditor General Sonia M. Webster.
Critics have lambasted the Governor for his sloth in making his announcement saying that early into the new year could never be translated into the middle of the third month of the new year.
Other persons have lambasted the Governor for not calling the Commission of Inquiry saying that all he needed was the recommendation of the Public Accounts Committee which said that the project warranted deeper investigation.
No doubt the public will be listening with keen ears tomorrow, March 17, 2015.
Follow our previous stories on the subject by clicking the following links:
http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/is-gov-duncan-in-hiding-over-ports-project-coi
http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/is-governor-john-s-duncan-a-liar
http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/exclusive-a-coi-will-go-deeper-than-the-ags-probe-gov
http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/who-is-governor-to-hold-up-coi-edmund-g-maduro
46 Responses to “UPDATE: ‘No need for COI on ports or other projects!’ Gov John S. Duncan”
The G*v is c**rupt. Time will tell.
ok the ndp win one now vip do your do its at the polls the gov... do ot care about your islanders
Mehson shut your #$@&$. We doing that all the time but these governors come here for a vacation and not to work. They all retire after leaving BVI.
The people of this territory have to do the COI and vote these corrupt NDP out. Check there bank accounts and you will see where our tax dollars going.
Now talk about for your children and children children as if they will meet anything there. Like the thiefing pas... said, there is nothing there! Because they thiefing it. We are the blind mices if we allow it to continue to happen.
so why was there an audit? Was it for nothing? What did the independent AG find? Why bother. This action will fan the frustration and hopelessness people feel as this bullying administration gets away with yet another brazen calculation. Got the Go.....r in their pocket.
Don't worry, a commission of inquiry coming soon on that SCB Harbour Project and the Green House Project !!!