Walwyn denies knowing wall project scaled back to 'avoid procurement procedures'
“There has to be something more,” the former embattled legislator said during the September 20, 2021, sitting of the Virgin Islands Commission of Inquiry, while denying any technical knowledge of the project he led and calling for his project leads to appear before the CoI.
Scaling back to avoid procurement procedures?
As revealed in the Auditor General’s Sonia M. Webster's report and detailed by the Inquiry team, the practice of scaling back projects was meant to reduce the cost to less than $100,000, which allowed for the avoidance of procurements procedures.
As then head of the Ministry, Walwyn’s response on the reasoning for such a decision suggested that he had no idea it was being done, “Speaking for those people I worked with, I don’t believe they would have just done that for the sake of trying to avoid the procurements process,” he said.
The scaling back in this case, referenced a plan to build 180ft of wall at $150, 000, however, the size of the wall was reduced and thus, lowering the cost.
“Somehow that was reduced to 120ft, which coincidentally came in, in terms of costing, just below 100,000. And that meant, no major contracts, no engagement with the Financial Secretary, no engagement with the cabinet, it could be done by work orders,” Commissioner Gary R. Hickinbottom said.
Walwyn said although the size of the project was cut back, the portion of the wall still fits in the space as its original plans, “It doesn’t make any sense to me, because the area that we were concerned about was addressed,” the former Minister said.
CoI tasked to find out more on ESHS wall
He tasked the CoI to “Drill down and find out what happened,” in the overall project he led as the head of the then Ministry of Education.
Walwyn said he was also never consulted by project leads for scaling back the 180ft of wall at $150,000 to a 120ft wall for less.
The Former Minister also said that the AG's report on the wall is not the authority on the project and cannot be used as evidence, rather, just remains ‘words on a paper.’
Ms Webster, in her 2018 audit report, detailed a tale of corruption over the ESHS wall, with price overruns, no value for money, and work paid for but not completed.
In 2019, the case was also the subject of a criminal investigation under the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).
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16 Responses to “Walwyn denies knowing wall project scaled back to 'avoid procurement procedures'”
What a thing.
He just tells too much **** to save himself
Myron your days are done
People are out here watching
Myron no place to run.
Keep off Wall Win and give us an update as it’s not clear on these matters