Minor bump but Fahie forges ahead with Speaker’s exemption bid
Premier Andrew Fahie has insisted the proverbial show must go on with regard to an exemption being moved in the House of Assembly (HOA) for Speaker Julian Willock to disregard a court ruling that ordered him to pay legal costs in a failed injunction bid.
But the motion, which was expected to be the first item on the agenda to be debated yesterday, faced an unexpected delay when the House began proceedings.
Speaking to legislators, Premier Fahie said, although he still intended for the motion to be fully ventilated, he would have the item moved down on the order paper.
According to the Premier, this was as a result of “extra information” that was needed to move the matter forward. He said this information recently came to his attention in his capacity as Finance Minister.
Motion about an individual
In preparing legislators for the upcoming debate, Premier Fahie told the HOA the motion was not about an individual but rather about an official office.
“It is important for everyone to know that the BVI taxpayers are paying for the legal fees for the legal representation of the COI lawyers due to claims of a possible violation of the Legal Professions Act, 2015,” Fahie told legislators yesterday.
“Also, it is important for everyone to know that the governor has exercised his democratic right to have legal representation during the time he will be cross-examined in the COI, which is the same COI that the Governor‘s Office called, and it is also projected that the BVI taxpayers may be paying this expense as well,” he added.
According to the Premier, he was informed that Section 103 of the constitution will likely be used for the two expenses (the Speaker’s and the governor’s fees).
Further highlighting the supposed plight of the Speaker, the Premier said the only one who was being asked to pay legal fees in his private capacity while taking action in his official capacity, would have been the Speaker.
Protest and petition
In the meantime, the move to push back the debate on the matter comes in the face of staunch protests outside the HOA by residents yesterday, and on the heels of the court ruling that said Willock had no standing in bringing the injunction against Commission of Inquiry (COI) lawyers in the first place.
The protests followed an online petition which raised well in excess of 1,200 signatures, demanding that Willock be made to pay his own legal costs and that of parties he brought to court. He could pay up to $121,000.
Furthermore, a report given to our news centre showed there was no consultation among legislators before the injunction was first filed, despite claims that the Speaker was bringing the injunction on behalf of the HOA.
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Mr. Fahie why are you pushing this false narrative that Julian Willock was acting in his official capacity when he did his action without appropriate approval? Maybe only you knew what Willock was going to do, because the Attorney General and other legislators didn’t have knowledge of his action until the damage was done. Mr. Fahie you are being partisan and dec*+tful which is what you do best. You continue to l** and deceive the people you are supposed to represent and lead, but throughout your time as Premier you consistently Pray and L**. You are a poor excuse for a Leader. If you don’t want Willock to pay the court ordered legal fees, then you pay it. You can afford it, and I don’t mean out if the people’s money. PAY JULIAN WILLOCK bill WITH YOUR MONEY. I can’t wait to see the your back. Election soon come.
He don’t care. Only a few months left in office till the COI puts the Governor in charge and takes over from these criminals. He just helping out his bro.
Sorry, I pressed dislike by accident
willock was fully aware and he was told that he would not have won that case , now is tax payers who have to pay and i can’t even get a raise in salary for years , nothing in h**l goes so
Is a sickening character who falsely hides behind the word of God whilst breaking every possible law known to mankind..judgement day will come very soon
“Back on June 22nd, 2021, an article on BVI News headlined “Govt. Backs Two Citizens Taking Legal Action Against UK” was featured on BVI News.com Further it was said and I quote…”two unamed private citizens in the British Virgin Islands have taken legal action against the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office”. Since it was two private citizens, why are the people of the BVI picking up the tab? Even after the two citizens were identified as the Speaker and Deputy on August 30th it was reported in the news that the Priemer stated that the action by the Speaker, legislative in nature was independent and the executive branch for which he was responsible was in full cooperation with the COI. The
Speaker only withdrew the injunction when the Judge Jack ruled that he had no power to act in the manner that he did and would need the Attorney General’s permission of which the Speaker then wanted to seek legal action against her. When is the madness going to stop? Enough is enough of the people paying for legal fees being incurred by someone who has no authority to do so and one we did not vote for.”
enjoy it now but, foy has destroyed the vip for them to win again he needs to go
Andrew Fahie You are the worst thing to happen to the British Virgin Islands, You are worse than the virus worse than both hurricanes of 2017 you need to be stopped, I hope that is what the UK is working on right now, you are no good for the BVI.
but we will catch up to you on election day
Time longer than twine…No matter how long moonlight run day light does catch it…These are the same quotes Fahie always using.
Guess if the protest wasnt staged, it would have passed in flying colors. The BVI people are fed up Fahie. Take note!
No one is pushing narrative here but the NDP blogging machine. Maybe if you all were willing to work as one to deal with the COI we would have progress in a bipartisan manner but the only deceiving beast are you who blog and insult all day.
Poor excuse for wanna be leaders.
Your hate for an individual should not be an impediment to the defense of a territory.
True. Yet, the unauthorized actions of one individual shouldn’t be at the expense of the country. There is a protocol and the speaker violated it by unilateral filing a lawsuit. He did not get permission from the AG’s office. If he had done so the case would have moved forward. You cant defend that action even if you think it was in the best interest of the country. This is not difficult to comprehend.
Go ahead and pay for this private motion using taxpayers money and that will be the final nail in the VIP’s coffin.
Why would the Other Cabinet Members opposed to this Bill? The Premier and the Speaker didnot hire Them, it was the Voice of the People via their Vote (X) They need to put their feet down and stop this Duo from bringing the VIP any more disgrace
I wonder if the “Minor Bump” is the voices of the PEOPLE going against this nonesense…… lmaoooo jack i tell ya, all i can do is smh
I feeɔ relief.Why?The people of the BVI did not choose Andrew Fahie tp to lead us a a cointry it’s his district choice.Andrew is not a leader on the wprlds stage.He was elected in his district not on BVI choice..He is not a leader cause when I listen to him during his COI hearing I said I hope the wprld is not in tune.We are now the ɔaughing stock .When my niece ask uncle I hear the Premier today ?What he was trying to say?What id windrush?Andrew pls.go check urself with ur status as a leader stoɛ being so childish school and seeing.NO MONEY FOR WILLOCK BULL WHEN THEY ARE SUFFERING WITH THEIR SCHOOLING
in
Kindly feel our love. There is so much BVI love and compassion for your journey BVI. We the people are one in the struggle. Evil is global and must be eradicated as God reclaims His people. We are rooting for you, the truth.
Either this repeated fraud and deception, blatantly executed in media light, utterly kills outside investment and interest in the BVI, OR those with large stakes in these jeweled waters, will arrange the same verb to act in colder terms. I can not see either as unlikely actions given the capricious and brazen disrespect of democracy and decency by certain folk.
These are massive speed bumps. The people are serious..
Kindly feel our love. There is so much BVI love and compassion for your journey BVI. We the people are one in the struggle. Evil is global and must be eradicated as God reclaims His people. We are rooting for you, the truth.
The rambling of the Premier on this matter confirms that he was the person behind of it along. As outrageous as the Speaker is I do not think he would have engaged lawyers for this failed legal case if he knew he would have to pay personally from his pocket. The only person that could have given him the assurance that it would be paid by taxpayers would be the minister of finance. That is why the Premier is now doing this. Willock was doing his bidding.
Facts facts facts and more facts
Every time that mouth opens it is some untruth.
Honey..those are hard core lies
So many of these ministers and civil servants completely delinquent when it comes to following rules and regulations AND they are profiting . The COI have investigated and found them out. Now they, Fahie especially, wants to tarnish the COI. He agrees with the failed lawsuit brought by Willock. Politricks as usual. WILLOCK MUST PAY. Don’t let him get away with it…
The latest HOA sittings are a farce now that the CoI has ended the interview evidence phase of their inquiry. The 15 people at these sittings can debate, pass laws and attempt to spend money but their power is finished now so their criminal trials will soon commence.
After The COI this VIP administration will be a “minor bump” on the history of the Territory as well.
History will fade and Fahie will be a large blot in BVI history. One thing to remember before you commit crime, your money and assets can be frozen or taken. You cannot hide it, FBI, MI5 will already be on the case. Time to pay the piper is coming.
“It is important for everyone to know that the BVI taxpayers are paying for the legal fees for the legal representation of the COI lawyers due to claims of a possible violation of the Legal Professions Act, 2015,” Fahie told legislators yesterday.
The quote itself is quite illogical, but it makes clear that Willock may have been acting under Fahie’s instructions from the start. If he tries to use section 103(a) for the Willock situation, Fahie may well seal his own fate. He is up against greater chess players in the UK.
I was so excited on the morning of February 26th 2019. Now I have to hold my head down in shame.