CARICOM ‘in solidarity’ with BVI if gov’t suspends COI cooperation
Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Gaston Browne, said the regional bloc would “stand in solidarity” with the BVI if the government decides to suspend its cooperation with the Commission of Inquiry (COI) to focus on the territory’s COVID-19 outbreak.
Browne gave that indication while responding to a question during a CARICOM press conference with members of the media from around the region Tuesday night, July 6.
“The situation of the Commission of Inquiry was brought to our attention and we have expressed some concerns in the way in which the Commission of Inquiry is being conducted,” Browne said.
“Ultimately if the process is not fair, and they (the BVI government) have to protect their national interest, I guess we have an obligation to respect their decision. And at the end of the day, they’re part of the Community so we would want to stand in solidarity with them,” said Browne will directly answering a question from JTV’s Cathy Richards, who asked if CARICOM would ‘support government if they temporarily pulled out of the COI’.
Who proposed gov’t to suspend cooperation with COI
The idea of government suspending compliance with the COI was publicly proposed by Claude Skelton Cline — a government consultant and supporter of the Andrew Fahie administration.
On his Honestly Speaking radio programme yesterday, Skelton Cline called on the government to write to the UK Minister responsible for Overseas Territories stating that they’d be suspending cooperation with the COI until they’ve adequately handled the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am encouraging the government, if I was advising them — don’t seek permission. ‘Inform’ the Foreign Secretary that you are, effective immediately, taking the position at least for the next 30 days — and more if necessary — until you can get your heads and hands around the myriad of challenges that is resulting from this pandemic,” the talk show host and clergyman added.
The government has not given any indication that they would not cooperate with the COI.
Skelton Cline’s interest in the COI
Meanwhile, Skelton Cline has been the subject of a number of COI hearings because of the reportedly questionable government contracts he’s had with different administrations spanning all the way back from 2008.
Those contracts include the 2008/2009 Neighbourhood Partnership Project which an audit found yielded virtually no results. The government paid out more than half-million dollars for that project.
Skelton Cline was also contracted for the 2012 Cruise Pier Project which had a final reported cost of $82.9 million — more than $30 million above the initial estimate. Former Works Minister Mark Vanterpool admitted to hiring Skelton Cline despite knowing he (Skelton Cline) had no background or expertise in port development.
The government again hired Skelton Cline for a new consultancy in 2019. The details of this contract are yet to be made public.
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Is this man for real? I believe he has enough on his plate now to keep him preoccupied. He is presently the subject of a big Scotland Yard investigation involving the kidnapping of an Antiguan citizen and, in cahoots with the Indian and Dominican PM’s, forcefully taking him to Dominica and trying to get him illegally extradited to India.
Birds of a feather…..LOL
The COI has published numerous reports on its website. These are even more damming than the hearings. Million upon million peed into the wind , and the pockets of the relatives and cronies. Nothing ever achieved, no greenhouses, no harbour at Sea Cows, third world infrastructure everywhere. Corrupt customs officers filling their pockets while the Commissioner and his moll look on.
And these reports are not prepared by Brits or whitey. They are from our own Virgin Islanders , honest people concerned with the corruption and incompetence all around them.
Change needs to happen.
Right now CSC would sell his m****r to prevent the COI from continuing. He is at the h***t of the government corruption…Let’s have his wealth and where it came from fully placed on display for all to see. His minion of followers are just as … Your end is near Claude just as it was in Detroit. Where you gonna run to now?
Wade drank 3 bottles of water?…COI have a lot of people dehydrated ??
“Stand in solidarity”
That means, we will watch the BVI whither and fail even more as the U.K. then moves in to reclaim the territory. Sweeping austerity and budgetary controls will be instituted, and local belonger involvement will be scrutinized on every single level.
But yes, we will stand with you.
Thank you caricom-unists.
Fake positives, to get rid of the COI??
That’s the agenda at play
Mr. Browne, are you sure you want to be wrapped up and associated with this process?
Shame on you BVI News! Gaston Browne did not say anything about the BVI Government suspending cooperation with the COI. In fact, he pointed out that the BVI is fully cooperating. Why don’t you share with the public a link to the recording of the press conference so they can hear for themselves.
Just listen to audio in story where journalist asks the question and Chairman answered.
In due time..?
Read to understand. The headline says “IF”.
Pretty certain that as long as the COI is following protocols there is no reason for it to not happen. Why is CSC so scared??
with the financial mismanagement, cronyism, corruption and lack of basic controls in running the BVI? Well done CARICOM for confirming that you are not a serious organisation.
Let’s speak out against the racist mob called coi
Let’s speak out against people too stupid to pick their own names. Or spell it correctly.
But why people mixing the issues, they don’t think that we are following what is going on for years. A set of over spending and rumors of this and that, now the UK is investigating and all of a sudden UK is racist.
It IS racist to oppose the COI because he thinks of the UK as a heterogeneous white bloc, showing absolute disregard for the Virgin Island and its citizens. Why would a Caribbean politician stick up for a bunch of cronies who have looted a nation, one wonders….
It is also racist to select Silk law because they do the BVI a disservice and certainly were not selected on experience, merit or intellect.
Well
He is racist
If you notice the only people who are coming forward from other islands and have something to say about the COI are people who are corrupt just like our government. First we had the Premier from Turks and Caicos we all know about that, then we had the Premier from Bermuda where former premier, Ewart Brown, has been charged with 13 counts of corruption in an alleged multimillion-dollar scheme that spans at least a decade and involves a U.S.-based hospital. Jan 21, 2021 and now we have this joker. The CARICOM Chairman, Gaston Browne Prime minister of Antigua has told those accusing him of corruption to produce the evidence, this sound just like our own Premier Andrew Fahie, we know how that is going. Gaston Browne stay out of the BVI business, It seems that birds of a feather fly together.
Yes, and you notice, like PhatBabySpkr and CSCrime, as soon as they are rumbled, they become MLK,Mandela and MalcolmX – ie negro race heroes fighting against evil white oppressors.
Not saying the evil white oppressor is not a thing – on a meta level it is the whole story of the Caribbean – but on the level of individual actions of corruption, criminality and sheer greed and graft, these guys try to hide behind it so their actions don’t get scrutinised for what they actually are – theft from who ever got, when ever the opportunity arises, black, white, friends, family – whoever.
Champions of anti colonialism? You aint fooling nobody you corroded, corrupted capitalist thieves.
So the Caricom that we are not a full member of? The Caricom without any reciprocal rights sounding off against the country that gives us passports?
OK …
What is really going On
Listen to the audio in the story.
Birds of a feather, flock together.
Master stroke CSC. As soon as you suspend we call a national emmergency put the governor in charge until everything is back to normal. We are one step ahead of you $nake.
The COI is my most favourit TV show, entertaining, informative, educational..Its much more than a COI..We are learning.. We are been educated, our eyes are been open..
please ask wade if bouncer would be in conflict running a house of Ill repute.
CARICOM needs to mind their business. The Virgin Islands is not a member of CARICOM; their opinions are irrelevant. We are a BOT first and foremost.
If course they are. C***ks support each other. Every last caricom country needs a COI in my opinion.
Keep out of this, there has been to much nonsense going on in this territory for too long. It’s time somone answered some questions for the actions taken. At the end of the day we belong to the UK, not CARICOM.
If the good pastor wants to suspend the COI so we can focus on the pandemic rather than his alleged corruption perhaps he would also be kind enough to suspend his ** schemes until after the pandemic has been dealt with?
@My best TV show If I could have given you 100 thumbs up I would have, you hit the nail on the head.