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Health Minister defends appointing personal employee to BVIHSA board

Minister of Health, Carvin Malone

Health Minister Carvin Malone has argued that the concept of ‘conflict of interest’ does not apply to a person’s employees but is only restricted to family members.

This was essentially the view he espoused when he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) yesterday, September 7.

The COI, in examining the issue of statutory board appointments, pointed out that Malone proposed one of his own employees – a manager working at his Caribbean Basin Enterprise (CBE) business – as a recommendation for appointment to the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) board.

Best man for the job was appointed

Malone’s riposte was that the staff member was the best man for the BVIHSA appointment and had already previously served on the board.

“From all interactions with persons that he had served under, he was doing a remarkable job and they were yearning for him to be back,” Malone said.

And according to the Health Minister, the issue of conflict simply didn’t apply in this instance, since the individual was only a staff member and not a relative of his.

Asked how he dealt with the potential conflict that arose in appointing his own staff to the board, Malone said: “It all depends on what you call a conflict. The conflict was in terms of family members and so forth. I’m not sure if in any writing, anyway, at any time, it says that if a person happened to have been employed by you, that they cannot be considered.”

COI attorney, Bilal Rawat, said the Minister’s response was a fair point in terms of the Cabinet handbook, but his question was in respect to the wider issue of conflict of interest.

“Here you are recommending someone to be on a board that sits under your ministry. That person will earn a stipend, he will make decisions that involve the use of public money and he works for a company, he works for you. Now that in the public’s eye, may create a potential conflict of interest. Did you not appreciate that it might be a potential conflict of interest?” Rawat asked.

In response, Malone repeated the point that for the purpose that the individual was being appointed, there was no place that it was stated that someone employed by another person could not be engaged, especially if the person was best suited for the job.

“So, from your perspective, no conflict even arose, because he wasn’t a family member, he was just an employee?” Rawat asked.

Minister Malone quickly replied in the affirmative before adding, “and tomorrow he could be not an employee also.”

Follow BVI New’s coverage of the 2021 Commission of Inquiry on Instagram @BVINewsOnline #TrackingTransparency at www.bvinews.com.

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29 Comments

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  1. heckler says:

    It seems like this minister don’t even know the meaning of conflict of interest

    Like 57
    Dislike 1
  2. Anonymous says:

    Is it the Ag CEO a family member?

    Like 20
    Dislike 1
  3. 1st District says:

    The way in which persons are appointed to these boards are insulting to us the voters of the territory.

    Please look at all the individuals who are appointed to the boards.

    What it look like is that our elected officials does not understand the meaning of Conflict of Interest.

    Conflict of interest should be explained, have them undergo a training exercise and sign a document that they understand what it means. This is beyond now.

    All these boards need to be dismantled.

    Like 34
    Dislike 1
  4. Wow says:

    Malone disappointed me. Of all the person I thought he was a genuine person I can trust why he got my vote. Trust in no MAN. They all selling political lies. BVI is not a real place.

    Like 39
    Dislike 1
    • @wow says:

      He disappointed me too. Could not believe the nonsense I was hearing. Every sentence started with “When we were elected in February” and included some gibberish about innovation, manifesto,young people, la la la…sooo rehearsed and pathetic.

      Like 17
    • @Wow says:

      My my, your sense of judgement is not good. Be careful.

      Like 1
      Dislike 2
  5. ? says:

    AND A NEXT QUESTION, WHAT IS HIS POSSTION IN THE VIRGIN ISLAND PARTY.?

    Like 19
  6. Sharon says:

    When we had the former Premier of this country employing his own ***, you all NDP crickets had little to say.

    Everyone in this little territory is some sort of family whether distance or close.

    The point is this gentleman is not a family member of the Minister but you all want to find judgment over a stipend to put food on the table for his family.

    Go get a life!

    Like 1
    Dislike 37
    • lol says:

      Dont take it personal zoey

      Like 20
    • ohhh says:

      SOMEBODY TELL THE HEALTH MINISTER THAT IT IS BETTER TO WALK OUT WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY THAN LIKE THE L*ING T**SH PEOPLE THINK HE IS NOW.

      Like 15
      Dislike 1
    • @ Sharon says:

      You people need to cut the everyone is family crap!!!!

      Piggybacking on that line and milking it straight…shameful to think you could fool those of us who have sense enough to see what’s going on with these Ministers’ family members, friends, political affiliates on one or more Boards.

      You have people or 3 different Boards.

      So if everyone is family what happen to the rest of the population and by the way what happened to ADVERTISING THESE POSTS?????? Not already having who you choose and advertising to make it look like you’re following protocol.

      Like 17
  7. Corruption continues says:

    They (ministers) ignore the rules of law to execute their own personal agendas at the expense of us the populace. I saw the commissioner throw his hands up in frustration yesterday at the witness response. This minister thinks he sounds intelligent and can out-talk anyone but his transparency with his l**s and contradictions is glaring.

    This guy appoints friends, coworkers and family members to boards and critical positions without fear of repercussions. Isn’t this same employee/party affiliate/friend not serving on the board again? There are so many other individuals around that don’t even have an opportunity to be appointed to serve genuinely and effect change for the majority.

    I too gave CM my ‘x’ and am extremely disappointed in his performance to date and give him an “E” grade and half-way thru their term they ALL are flunking in a major way.

    We desperately need a reboot of Government ASAP. This is untenable any which way you look at it.

    Like 16
    • Right! says:

      You’re so right @corruption continues. He thought he sounded intelligent which is so sad because anyone with a quarter of a brain could see his glaring folly. And then the d**b laugh every now and again just made the stupidity even more blinding. At one point, the Commissioner was actually siding with him and because he is so defensive, he started defending himself against what the Commissioner was saying. Who are these people called bvi politicians. They really good at putting on a show in public but behind closed doors, they are petty and foolish beyond belief. Some people cannot handle power. Fake!

      Like 11
    • SMH says:

      Hope he has his popcorn he used to be every other day with on social media taking jabs at the previous government.

      There looking like a blubbering i**ot every time he opens his mouth

  8. Moses says:

    NDP cronies must be jumping in them pants with all these comments about the Minister. Them think they got the people just where them want. Well sah them working.

    Like 1
    Dislike 3
  9. Wise man!! says:

    After the Commisioner’s council pointed out how the appointee could be easily influenced into making decisions in his favor (being his employer) the honorable minister concluded his smart argument by actually saying “and tomorrow he could be not an employee also.” Does the minister realize how that last statement could be interpreted? Not a wise statement in my opinion. Especially as there was no need for further comment.

  10. Shares says:

    Hope they ask him what companies he has shares in.
    Am sure he is behind some tourism/marine businesses with very smelly partners. The company gets permission for all kinds of unusual employment/development/seabed activities, even while he in cabinet!?!?!

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