Accepting COI report was a big mistake
Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn has posited that the initial acceptance of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report has opened the door for the UK to label the BVI government corrupt and publish damning reports such as the new review of local law enforcement agencies.
Last week, all elected leaders used their time in the House of Assembly to reject the report which identified corruption in BVI’s law enforcement bodies and suggested that key offices be placed under the governor’s purview.
While issuing his rejection of the assertions in the UK document, Walwyn said Britain was only able to craft such a negative report because the BVI leadership accepted the COI report that was handed down in 2022. That report labelled the territory corrupt and threatened to take power away from local leaders if its recommendations weren’t enacted.
At that time, the government and opposition members of the House formed a unity government with Dr Natalio Wheatley as the Premier. They agreed to implement the UK’s recommendations.
But according to Walwyn, that was the first mistake.
He said leaders should have sought help from legal experts in the Caribbean, who could have helped them to understand the future implications.
“But we accepted the recommendations without reading them, without understanding the ramifications,” Walwyn bemoaned. “Was it that we were too happy to hold on to premiership and leadership that we didn’t have the courage to stand up? That was when the courage was needed to say no, we won’t accept your report,” the Sixth District representative said.
He said the recent UK review of law enforcement agencies that has offended many, was created pursuant to recommendations of the COI. And he said any rejection of the new report is simply futile because the damage was already done when the COI recommendations were embraced.
“So we have this report now and we’re getting a heart attack but the reality is our utterances would make absolutely no difference. So what we’re doing is an exercise in futility as far as I’m concerned,” Walwyn further explained.
No widespread crime here
Walwyn also rejected the report’s assertion that the BVI is a hotbed for serious crimes, adding that the territory’s problems are similar to those that regional neighbours face.
“I must not know where I live. Maybe something is wrong with me. I walk about and every pan knock I’m there. Where is this widespread corruption and serious organised crime? Unless they are doing it and I don’t see,” Walwyn argued.
He added that the UK’s report has the potential to hurt the territory’s tourism, which is known as the second major pillar of the economy.
All elected leaders and some sections of the public have rejected the UK’s new report. However, it’s unclear what actions may be taken if the territory fails to implement the report’s recommendations.
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Voting for fu+*y man was a big mistake
Thank God for the same fu**y man to help us out the mess we in. If it wasn’t for him to read through those bills and highlight the traps I don’t know where we would have been. But of course you ain’t watching that because you are too filled with hate and jealousy.
Unfortunately, there are members of the BVI government who are corrupt
So name them and specify the actual corrution. Actual Corrution usually end in convictions, where are the conviction and people being locked up?This is merely guilt by insinuation nothing more . And the UK knows that , it understands that it can say something without actually saying and and achieve the result it is looking for.
In thus the zvzi,in actuslity,many over the top criminal offenders are rarely convicted, not even publicly identified…murderers/ thieves drug pushers,human traffic facilitators are walking and mingling,some openly imported an installed from places such as Dominicsn Republic…..
They are all rubbing elbows with their compatriots,among members of our duly elected.Their wants needs and desires promptly facilitated.
so because someone was not convicted in the end means they are completely innocent?
so with your logic if someone is a known pedo from previous actions and is failed to be convicted should be innocent and should be allowed to work in a kindergarten or daycare….
hopefully your future generations dont end up using that daycare/kindergarten service…
COI should yall to yall face with how those grants were being used and bcuz no one is convicted all those who part take are innocent. Especially with our DPP is known to lose high level cases constantly
if a student at the school constantly thieving other students items but never got convicted cuz hes underage and a student when he get out of school he should work at the bank and handle your money or better yet he hold your money for you and look after your home when you off island
the day bvi get Independence thru people like you. you all deserve everything that comes after but who knows maybe you all benefiting from the corruption too
None have been convicted because the HOA will not pass unexplained wealth and/or meaningful money laundering legislation. This combined with corruption at senior level in the police, customs, and ports, mean there is no prospect of convicting them in the BVI. Did we not learn anything from Andrew Fahie.
The government & politicians are corrupt and the COI was critical to show this.
Did anyone remove his pictures from HOA?
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/former-british-virgin-islands-premier-sentenced-prison-conspiring-import-cocaine
Let’s be real, neither Andrew or the Maynards ever ran cocaine in their lives nor would they have ever gotten to. The entire thing was just them being greedy, green and DUMB!!! Who goes to the USVI to meet a Mexican Cartel Leader when there are so many other Caribbean Islands without US connections where they could meet? The entire thing was just far-fetched and foolish. Their crime was buying into bullshit, they didn’t bring any cocaine through the port and if you look at the evidence against them, they were not anywhere near smart enough to pull it off.
Natalio in his haste to become Premier accepted the recommendations without understanding their implications. He just wanted to be Premier.
The HOA should have been dissolved and people returned the polls to decide who they want. Now look at the mess that we are in.
@Observing
Implications…
Like, honest governance?
Like transparency in governance?
Like at least hoping for honest politicians?
But the political elites and their enablers are corrupt! It’s noted in the COI and is plain to see by the common man. Facts are facts – all the people are asking you to do is change and put our country first!
Now humble yourself and let’s get our country to where it should be!
So everbody got one head now that their cookies being threatened lol this country mehson
Where is the report that the government contracted and paid a deposit on?
Opposition ayo sleeping.
It was a major mistake. They are waiting for something major to happen again to put us under their control. Just wait.
The BVI was in a great negotiating position at the time.
Not only had we had a whole series of really dreadful examples of corruption and maladministration covered in detail and very effectively by Higginbottom and Rawat; we had just had Fahie and the Director of Ports arrested for conspiring to help Hezbollah import cocaine.
Sl**ande must have had those Brits right where he wanted them! It’s astonishing the constitution wasn’t suspended. How bad does it have to get?
Why are you willfully conflating maladministration with corruption .One is deliberate fraudulent conduct that if discovered results in legal charges, the other is mismanagement or lack of implementation of processes. Who has been charged with corruption by the very detailed and effectve Higginbottom and Rawat? Is it possible that they didnt bring charges because of fear of a defamation of character suit because they could not produce specifics? Who has been charged?
https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2024/08/06/former-bvi-premier-sentenced-prison-conspiring-import-cocaine-us
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/former-british-virgin-islands-premier-sentenced-prison-conspiring-import-cocaine
if it wasn’t aceppted the UK would of taken over so Walwyn is saying he wanted the UK to take over and now this ne report is out and everyone up against it yet the order is still inforce and the UK CAN EASILY TAKE OVER. The government of every country on earth is corrupted as power corrupts all. But where have the billions gone, just look at the mansions on the hills of elected officals and senior members of civil service and ask where does a civil servant who earns under $50k get money to build aa multi million dollar mansion, have a go fast boat and multiple cars. The answers are there but if anyone else steps up they fill fill their shoes too
Maybe your Uk can tek over yo back yard, not mine!!!!
Are we suppose to give and or surrender all our National, collective, human, sovereign, political economic, our established economic and educational instutions and foundations simply for the UK greedy clolnialist asking?
Can we today go to UK and do the same?
Well of course the Hon. Mr. Walwyn would think the BVI should have never accepted the terms of the CoI. It would have been obvious he’d think that before the CoI ever was published!
When every senior appointment in the court systems is overseen by the very same people accused of corruption and the police and court system has been found to be dysfunctional which we knew already . You’d need independent judges , police and prosecutors to gain convictions.How many times was Bob arrested and released through deliberate missteps by all concerned ,how many sons of F&F given slaps on the wrists for carrying drugs & weapon possession.