Audit report: Former Premier Fahie overstepped legislative authority
Auditor General Sonia Webster has accused former Premier Andrew Fahie, of repeatedly taking efforts to overstep his legislative authority during COVID-19.
In her audit report on contracts for static marine platforms between the government and EZ Shipping, Webster said throughout the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and thereafter, there were ongoing efforts by the then-Premier to assume responsibility for border security, which constitutionally lies under the ambit of the governor.
Webster said this was shown through ongoing correspondence which sought to control and exclude the then-governor’s offers of UK surveillance assistance for, and contribution to, the territory’s border challenges.
According to Webster, Fahie also demonstrated this through the tendering for border security equipment (land based platforms) without consultation or approval of the National Security Council (NSC) or the governor and the launching of EZ shipping barges, without any legislative authority or approval.
The Auditor General said this activity led to a number of legislative failures and costly missteps.
“There is a need for the roles with respect to border security to be fully articulated so that persons are aware of their responsibilities and limitations,” Webster commented in the report. “The failure to do so can potentially result in further confusion and overstepping of authority.”
The report recommended that there should be clear legislative repercussions at all levels for persons who disregard legislative authority and knowingly commit the government to an expenditure in a manner that is not approved.
Don’t be naive to the play
In the meantime, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, while debating the report in the House of Assembly, challenged Webster’s conclusion in the report, suggesting that there was something improper about her findings.
According to the Premier, Webster concluded that the Customs Department does not have the legislative remit for border security and the appropriate agency with the legislative remit for border security is actually the police. Dr Wheatley argued that Webster concluded that Customs does not play a role in border security and called it “a very dangerous conclusion” on her part.
However, the Auditor General did not appear to make either of those conclusions in her report.
In fact, the Auditor General stated that, “there is no legislation that vests the border security remit with the Premier. The Constitution does, however, provide that the Governor may delegate matters of internal security to the Premier under terms and conditions as he (the Governor) thinks fit.”
Webster said this did not occur either during the period of the COVID- 19 border closure or at any other period before or after.
Premier Wheatley also warned during the debate that persons should not support a conclusion that is destructive to the BVI and reminded residents that the Customs and Immigration Departments fall under the elected government, while the RVIPF does not.
“Don’t be naive to the play, I would say. We have to ensure that the powers of Customs are not marginalised and are respected. Same thing for Immigration. We have to make sure that the powers of Immigration are respected and not marginalised,” the Premier said.
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Costly missteps? Evidence of money laundering framework. Did his deputy who defending it have a stake in the thing? Will this evidence be given to the US prosecution team? All you got to do is keep following the money and everything will be revealed.
Politicians have quote most of the verses in the bible eg Mr AF,CSC but never quote where zacariaus return all what he stiletto from the poor.
Natalio shows everyday how dangeerous he is for the future of the VI. Supporting and carrying on the ideas and devices of the previous (and for everyone else) now disgraced fahie shows he clearly has the same contempt for the findings of the COI as many of the failed leaders around him. They are not moving is forward in the right direction. Who is there to vote for in an upcoming election but the UK? Please show yourselves.
The auditor correctly found that his former boss was found to be subverting power and breaking laws so he could traffic drugs through the territory, and THIS was his takeaway? This man is a complete f**l who deserves the drubbing he’s sure to get at the polls.
Sonia Webster, you are a national treasure. We need you as premier, please.
she to dam bias she loves the white governor and will kill her own. When will she audit the governor’s office and the Police force?
Well well. Both governments NDP and VIP to blame for the mess we are in: millions for planes (8.2m), NHI subsidies, no scrubber for incinerator (since Ronnie Skelton tenure) etc. They all need to go. We need new blood. This is not a recycling plant.
Fahie is a gangster mehson. ??
once the 40+ findings of the corrupt politicians have been resolved? You seem very worried about the investigations..
It is easy to sit on the side and criticize fahie and all leaders worldwide during covid which was the worse pandemic in the last 100 years which came with no play book. I think that the man helped in the time of crisis to save lives and the economy from tanking out and it called for going outside the norms to get it done because it was not normal times. So, it is easy now to try to downplay the efforts now that things seem back to normal.
MS. WEBSTER KEEP ON TRACK DOING YOUR JOB AND NOT LISTEN TO THE CHATTER.
MUCH RESPECT
Now now we mustn’t condemn those who merely think differently, they must be allowed to live their own best lives.
Please!! What more does the UK need to take control of the BVI? More audits? More intentional delays by the 12 puppets in the HOA for all the CoI recommendations? More senseless murders?
The auditor general and all who think that you could find any government in the world who operated with normal rules during covid is being naive, unrealistic and unreasonable
This is not to justify wrong or say it was done. This is a statement of fact and reality. Let us not jump to unreasonable conclusions as no where was any better especially the UK.
Awesome job Ms. Auditor. We would like to be kept abreast of where our finances are going.
Good job.
You serious? Because she addit a few report means she is all of sudden eligible for premier????hmm
Intelligent, people with integrity, would still go around and vote back VIP when the team sat back and were fearful, did nothing said nay! nay !
A candidate was incarcerated for government money at Balsam Ghut and EE will clamor and rally such candidate.
VIP will open their camp and present that people to EE are we so blinded
Has integrity gone through the window
What is my country doing ?
Stop justifying where VIP has brought us as a government
It was a bad decision on Government part with the plane .
You cannot compare-
Kneeling and having day of prayer
Squandering Social Security to individuals
NO comaparison.
Your comment should read ‘she loves honesty and accountability and is not afraid to speak up for truth.’
It is because of events like this that we have so little to show for the billions of Government revenue received since the 1980s.
Look how bad our infrastructure and public education are.
What a waste of opportunities that will not come again.
Have you seen/ heard the murder rate in these Islands locally and surrounding. You and your own killing each other and has been killing each monetarily,economically,spiritually and physically fir donkey years,given the slightest opportunity.
Leaving no stones unturned the monumental and progressive Black on Black crime in the VI,
All revealed by the White Man/ men to the already knowing faces of the dumb doomsday kinship Blackfollowers.
The man knew exactly why he didn’t want assistance from the UK in policing the borders during Covid. Shameless.
I had enough of this double standard by M & a few others including the Governor and the Auditor General. We know they are all working together for years but this is over bearing now. Where are the following audits:
1) On the Governor’s office
2) On the poor performance of the Governor for the past 20 years for subjects under his responsibility.
3) The work and report for the man from the UK that the Governor brought to BVI to review the court system and left before the work was finished, got paid, and did not complete the work nor submitted a report.
4) Audit on all the cash sieged by the Commissioner of Police and cannot be accounted for to this day.
5) Misuse of the police boat to take non-police officers in and out of the territory without approval or documentation.
6) Audit on Commissioner selling police vehicle and no account of the money.
7) M Georgie Hill project that started at $300K but ended up over $1.3million in the crab over run.
8) Audit update on the $40 million over run pier project.
9) Audit update on the missing plane and $8million dollars
10) Audit on poor stewardship of W&S
11) Audit on years of poor stewardship of the Tourist Board especially the New York Office and the management of the sister sister combination.
12) Audit on when the NDP started the sewage project and put in the wrong pipes causing the delay in finishing the projects up to this date.
13) Audit on the CTL building contract and the lack of transparency after Irma to date.
14) Audit on the many loans M allegedly gave out to friends and family from Trade after Irma and Maria that the Government had to pay back and is still paying back up to now.
15) Audit on RDA under the Governor with the man that was being paid over $300k a year but did not produce for the money and according to the obligations of the contract.
16) Audit on the Governor having a few UK people hired by RDA making more than $15k a month to do nothing but sit in the UK and attend a meeting a month on zoom.
17) Audit on the many contracts Premier * wife had in government and FSC while he was the Premier that we know not the outcome.
18) Audit on a former PS that used their position to set up a millionaire on one of our islands and is now the manager of that enterprise right after they retired as their reward.
19) Audit on R***** many contracts with no outcome seen to date.
I will stop there for now because I see this ongoing exercise as a target on the VIP without any consideration for what they had to face as a country with covid for the past 3 years. I am not a VIP supporter but as someone with sense I can see injustice from a mile & I intend to call it out for what it is which is targeting.
Hahahah
That you Albert?
Does she (the Auditor General) choose who she audits? I don’t think she does. I’m sure if she is tasked the audit the police or governor’s office she would do so honestly and with no bias. ANd that’s her job not to favour, black or white; local or non local.
Improper. Didn’t follow the correct channels. Not the Premier’s responsibility.
Did the auditor not get the news that the Premier was arrested for smuggling Coke!!!
This report is nonsense. It seems to miss the whole part where Head Coach is a drug runner and money laundering “not my first Rodeo” guy.
The word Improper doesn’t even get close to what went down here!
If the audit report on the Head Coach sounds like he just filled a few forms wrong and ‘overstepped’ his attorney…the present government is INCAPABLE of government oversight.
On top of this, the new premier calls the audit “improper”. What do you call coke trafficking and money laundering? ‘Unusual government procurement’???
Time for the UK to step in.
so you telling me when you add up all this misuse in just 3 years does not amount to more than the plane.
THe Plane issue was an investment to benefit all persons. THe persons assigned to do their due diligence was the one that di dnot carry out their work properly…not the government.
The deal went bad from the beginning.
No one wrong is bigger than the other because it all affected our tax dollars.
Fat Albert did what the Colombians told him to do.
Seems like there are more like him.
Either you are one f the rats or you are too dumb to comment.
The biggest Fahie crime is yet to be exposed, and he had plenty of helpers.
What happened to the $60 million he allegedly stole from social security?
The auditor is looking at that too and lots of civil servants are very nervous
The Auditor general is focusing on the authority of the Law and the constitution which clearly indicates that the Governor is responsible, Sowande is trying to be sentimental and creating division against the uniform branches and making it them against us with his baseless argument. I now see Sowande as dangerous..He is very malicious in his defense of Foy and EZ.
I just don`t see why P,Weakly, still tryong to defend and defund the people still. Even though he allowed the EX>PRM to collect a salary for so long.
If Webster was a belonger with any island roots they would have crucified her
Look at this every year there is more and more drama
sinaloan cartel
@ drams….you dont have to have socalled island roots. They crucify any who speak the truth systematically. Look at how they trated the Hill man and Walters who used to work in immigration.He told them he wasn’t for sale then what? All ah dem full ah F
The entire power structure of the BVI is corrupt. Need to purge the entire mess and bring in the UK to manage the country for the people, not the elites.