All witnesses to attend in-person hearings as COI resumes
The ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI) is expected to continue with all witnesses attending in-person hearings when it resumes in roughly two weeks.
In a release issued late yesterday August 25, the Commission’s Secretary, Steven Chandler said this was subject to local COVID-19 restrictions.
Before the COI left for a brief summer hiatus, witnesses were forced to give evidence remotely after the territory experienced a tremendous spike in COVID-19 cases that resulted in the deaths of more than three dozen persons.
The spike saw more than 1,600 persons infected at one stage, but cases have since fallen drastically and now stand at 31 active cases as of August 24.
According to the COI release, the first six days of hearings will deal with the composition and function of Statutory Boards and will hear evidence from several government officials, including the Premier and two serving ministers of government – namely Health Minister Carvin Malone and Labour Minister Vincent Wheatley.
The release further noted that the resumed hearings will be used in part to afford public officials the opportunity to respond to potential criticisms arising from the evidence the COI has received.
The COI cautioned, however, that in order to protect the interests of all who might be concerned and to safeguard their rights to confidentiality, neither details of potential criticisms nor the identification of those at whom they may be directed will be publicised in advance of the hearings.
Speaker’s injunction hovers over COI
The COI’s resumption has been overshadowed by threats of disruption to its proceedings after House Speaker Julian Willock filed an injunction through his attorneys, Silk Legal, to prevent three of the COI’s lawyers from resuming their work with the commission.
The Speaker claimed through his filing before the court that the attorneys were acting illegally and were practising law in the territory without being called to the Bar, as required by law.
Despite the injunction, the Speaker said his intention was not to prevent the COI from discontinuing its proceedings in any way.
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all of a sudden we have a set of experts here and with this newly discovered knowledge of the LAW , why hire outside attorneys and Silk when you already got it all ?
J—- W—– Do you understand that you don’t have the last say in any of this COI no matter what your intentions are and no matter what the outcome is in October you can’t stop those lawyers the COI is here doing a job for the UK and the UK can overrule whatever crap you come up with. Someone needs to stop you from spending the taxpayer’s money as if it’s yours. I hope the COI recommends that you and Andrew pay back the treasury the money you are using for these lawyers, Was Andrew lawyer accepted to the BVI Bar?
ok then!
the esteem one is way out of his league. you mean to tell me a team of lawyers who are obviously well learned professionals dont know what part of the law deals with attorneys appointed by foreign and commonwealth. I don’t care what color they are, the corruption unfolding is incredible and the wrong doers whether from here or not must be brought to justice.
Remember that guy who use to raise hell over the cruise pier? think is name is Darby. he’ll be showing up as a witness soon
Now this I have to view…was wondering what happened to him and his supposedly lawsuits and Andrew’s role et c etc..hmmm hmm.hope he has ” receipts ” for seeing is believing.
I am with you 100% I pray he does show up; proceed with the COI. Thank you
I’m almost sure that based on the routine that happened from the lockdown to now that as soon as the C.O.I starts up , we will see a spike to distract from the exposure that is continuing to take place!
This is a stupid comment. If you think the spike was not real then you are denying the many deaths that happened over the last few weeks. We have never had that many deaths in such a short span since the cholera outbreak.
Given the depth of contempt for democracy from the gov, I don’t put it past the posse to have a role in spike
About time get this show back on the road,all who have things to hide will come to light very soon
Bring on the COI, let’s go. People now scrambling to gain political points with their weekly updates tell me that there is more to the pestle than the mortar.
Still want to know what happened with the generators for the postal workers after IRMA. Who really signed for them, because I didn’t get one, yet it was signed for.
Your only throwing oil and Fire..You will pay for it. The COI aint Joking..