Government’s COI attorney responds to flak
In response to heavy criticism and calls from parliamentarians in the United Kingdom for him to be investigated, Queen’s Counsel (QC) Sir Geoffrey Cox said he does not believe he did anything wrong in representing the BVI government in the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI).
The statement posted on Sir Geoffrey’s website said he is a leading barrister in England and makes no secret of his professional activities.
“He was asked to advise the Attorney General and the elected Government of BVI, a British Overseas Territory, in a public inquiry into whether corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty may have taken place in recent years in the Virgin Islands and to carry out a review of its systems of government in preparation for that Inquiry,” the statement read.
“Prior to accepting the role, he sought and obtained the approval of the Office of the Attorney General of England and Wales that there would be no conflict of interest with his former role as Attorney General,” it added.
Sir Geoffrey said his involvement is not to ‘defend’ a tax haven or defend any wrongdoings as it has been inaccurately reported in the press, but to assist the public inquiry in getting to the truth.
“No evidence of tax evasion or personal corruption has been adduced before the Inquiry and if it had been, that person would have been required to seek their own representation,” the statement said.
The statement further said Sir Geoffrey continued to have online meetings with organisations, businesses and individuals within his constituency during his time abroad. It mentioned online meetings were feasible since it was not practical or desirable to meet face-to-face with these people.
With regards to voting in the UK Parliament by proxy, the statement said Sir Cox had consulted the Chief Whip in the UK House on working from abroad and it said he was advised that it was appropriate.
In closing the statement, the Queen’s Counsel said the decision is up to the electors of Torridge and West Devon whether they vote for him or not. The statement said whatever his constituents decide, that is the decision by which he would abide.
Cox’s earnings from BVI
According to the UK parliament’s Register of Members’ Interests — where MPs have to declare earnings outside of Parliament — Sir Cox was paid £156,916.08 before Value-Added Tax (VAT) for 140 hours of work from the start of 2021 until September 7 in the BVI for Withers LLP.
In addition to that, the Queen’s Counsel also earned more than £280,000 with the same firm for almost 300 hours of work between January and July this year. Sir Cox has also declared on the register that from November 1, he would receive £400,000-plus VAT annually from Withers LLP for up to 41 hours of work a month.
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He is just like who he came here to represent
Cr**ks represented by a cr**k. Can’t make this s**t up.
“No evidence of tax evasion or personal corruption has been adduced before the Inquiry and if it had been, that person would have been required to seek their own representation”
So the Inquiry will have to conclude that there was no evidence of corruption or serious dishonesty. Gus won’t be pleased – that was his main complaint against Andrew! Gus should resign his new job at No 10.
Clearly the best man for the job.
You got lots of likes hurrah. Nothing here to substantiate your conclusion but that is just how things are these days. Is it illegal to work honestly? If so why has he not been charged? Is it unethical to be paid for services rendered? Is esthetic law or you just sour because hurt or hate has envelope you. Seek some help your mind needs unmuddling
We ain’t expect him to say nothing different
Of course they’ll target him, but it’s a free market economy. They just want to slander him for opposing their neocolonial mandate. But he did it for the $$$ not for the love so they can understand that. They just want to ruffle the feathers of their house jiggaboos and proud pet ‘monkey’ friends. They found no corruption or kick backs like they were promised and so they have to chase inefficiency and have their pets call inefficiency corruption b/c they don’t understand words have specific meanings.
What is funny is how quick the YELLOW SITE was to defend this man. Weeks and weeks of onslaught on UK being white supremacists, bullying small Territories, can’t be trusted etc. Now all of a sudden the YELLOW SITE is defending tooth and nail a UK White Man from UK Parliament simply because he is on their side. So what we have here is that when a UK White Man is here asking tough questions about money and other potential corrupt matters, they are racist, bullies, white supremacists, slave masters etc. When a UK White Man is representing Government, they are upstanding, honest, never-do-wrong, above board, value for money, intelligent, knowledgeable etc. I don’t know if to laugh or cry these days honestly.
Clearly the best man for the job.
The yellow tabloid site got a dose of its own medicine, served by the UK media and they can’t handle it.
@Earthquake I meant to give your comment thumbs up.
Sir Geoffrey states, “No evidence of tax evasion or personal corruption has been adduced before the Inquiry” Really? perhaps he had a dodgy Zoom connection or was off doing one of his many other jobs when the mountains of evidence of blatant corruption were being brought to light by the COI.
Hmmm.. but was it “personal corruption”? No one benefitted themselves that we could see from the evidence.
If my calculations are correct, this man is set to earn approximately a million U.S dollars and who is going to pay that bill?
And I can’t help but ask the question:
Why do we need a lawyer to defend us at such expense if this is just an investigation?
Do we have something to hide?
Are we guilty of something?
We the taxpayers should not be footing these bills because we did not engage in any acts to warrant an investigation!
you of all people should look in the mirror, before you of all people start calling people by animal names
Hey BVI, that was just $1121.12+ an hour and growing.
I am flabbergasted by the ignorant comments regarding Sir. Geoffrey. The Foy Government has a right to legal representation regardless of how anyone feels. Sir Geoffrey is a lawyer and he is representing his client which is the Government of the VI. Just can’t understand the criticisms.
The criticism is that he is earning an obscene fee of over 1000 US dollars an hour and who is paying – the BVI taxpayer, that’s who. With that kind of fee he doesn’t care if he’s voted back into his English constituency or not.