BVI News

No gov’t could survive this COI and its terms — Premier

Premier Fahie

Premier Andrew Fahie has said he does not believe any government can be subjected to the rigorous scrutiny that comes with this ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI) and remain intact. 

He shared that view when he appeared before the COI yesterday, October 11, and raised renewed concern about the Inquiry’s terms of reference which his government continues argue are ‘too broad’.

“There is no government that could survive a Commission of Inquiry and come out unblemished with the terms of reference like what you have been given, none,” Premier Fahie told the Commission. 

The COI is charged to look into whether corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty may have taken place “in recent years”. And Premier Fahie reasoned that these terms of reference are so wide that one could pick any law in the territory to see if the government was being consistent or inconsistent in its implementation. 

In further explaining his point, Premier Fahie said governments may not sometimes be as consistent with every single policy that was being put in place. 

He said if there are areas of concern in governance in the BVI, then “it can’t always be [that] the only road being led to is the Cabinet and the elected officials to see if they are corrupt”. 

New governor praised for engagement 

Meanwhile, the Premier commended current Governor, John Rankin, whom he suggested was more inclusive in the role he played in allowing Fahie and Deputy Governor, David Archer Jr, to examine approaches together for the transformation of the public service. 

Governors in the BVI typically have oversight of the public service and Premier Fahie has argued consistently that some focus needs to be directed to the role of the governor in an effort to create more accountable governance in the BVI. 

He said this was in addition to a code of ethics for behaviour, integrity in public life and other areas of concern that were being examined. 

“So we may have differences in certain areas,” Premier Fahie said, “but at least this governor, I must say, has had the professionalism about him to sit and let us look at the real core of the problems with the present Deputy Governor — but I can’t say that was the case for most of the time I was in politics.”

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30 Comments

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  1. Poor understanding says:

    It seems the Premier does not realise that the COI is looking for systematic failings. A one-off error would not fall into that category.
    On the defensive again!

    Like 43
    Dislike 2
    • Racist says:

      The r**ist Foy knows he and his dish***rable Ministers are doomed. He loves his Caribbean brothers and sisters yet treats them like sub human. The Foy is a blight on the BVI, a l**r and a cr***nal. He sealed the fate of the BVI in his rant about slavery, reparations and Belongership. He managed to turn anyone sympathetic to the Belonger against them. In the past I thought it enough to remove the corrupted ones from government. Now it’s clear they need to be prosecuted and sent to prison. Crimes against the Territory.

      Like 14
      Dislike 1
    • DOH says:

      waaaaahhhhhh! I cry for you Fahie… sigh and sniff

      Get ready for the UK!!!

  2. Hot as ice says:

    The CoI was called because the Premier would not obey the former Governor.
    The former Governor alleged that there was serious dishonesty in the BVI. He appointed the Commissioner to do a hatchet job. After 1000s of hours of investigation the Commissioner has found no corruption (but lots of things that could be done better). If he had found any evidence corruption, he would have to sent a warning letter about it.
    The first term of reference for the CoI was clearly inappropriate and improper – no other Governor would have included it. It is a black mark against the reputation of the former Governor and will
    hopefully dog him for the rest of his career (which I suspect will continue to be in the back room away from public scrutiny).
    Those who dislike this only do so because they know that it is true and they don’t like the truth when it gets in the way.

    Like 10
    Dislike 56
    • @Hot says:

      You clearly do not understand how this game is played. No corruption? Ok.

      Like 27
      Dislike 1
      • Well Well says:

        @ @HOT
        So we see that no G`mnt could withstand this COI, But he still wanted a COI on the NDP. I wonder if this is the same BVI we Live in.

        Like 20
    • You are insider says:

      Working for the gov in some capacity. Lies too. Does the money cover a life of shame for you covering for cr**ks? We can hack addresses here. Yours is being sent to COI

  3. Facts says:

    The coi is a racist mob against the people

    Like 2
    Dislike 71
  4. Squealer says:

    You see Mr. Premier, when you are digging grave for others you should also dig one for yourself. You spent years I understand running down to the governors telling tales on the NDP government to destabilize it. You didn’t realize that you were damaging the country or you didn’t care because you wanted to be Premier at all cost. Now the same people you ran to with false information are now cutting your behind. For years you have been calling others corrupt when you knew it wasn’t true, look at you now! You started out with a prayer yesterday but ended with the usual untruths. Continue to play with God. Enjoy day 2 today.

    Like 48
    Dislike 3
  5. heckler says:

    So is that the reason why he, the speaker and consultant pulled the race card?

    Like 23
    Dislike 1
  6. lol says:

    Whether or not there was a COI there is no way in hell your government would have survived. You and the rest of the gang simply has to go.

    You’ve asked for the COI now sit down and enjoy what you’ve asked for…..#worst government in VI history.

    Like 39
    Dislike 1
  7. Summary of Fahie says:

    Fahie threw the entire civil service under the bus referring to them as a civil service from the 1800s, then blamed everything on them and starting ranting about how much he loves his Caribbean brothers and sisters but does not want to give them belongership. He unfortunately forgot the answer the questions on why he keeps on giving away our money though..

    Like 28
    Dislike 5
  8. Dead man says:

    Can’t talk – let’s throw him under the bus..he won’t complain about it. Well done Andrew

    Like 20
    Dislike 2
  9. Le Canard says:

    Well his won’t for sure.

  10. Ya awl says:

    Hon Premier, every government will have its failures, its the extent of those failures that the COI is here to understand. Is there corruption, the extent of that corruption. Are the failures and corruption crippling the country and preventing growth and positive development of the infrastructure and territory.
    Many of us belongers believe that our tax dollars do not go to where they are needed, they go to where they are wanted!

    Like 26
  11. Common sence says:

    @ ya awl Last election was in 2019 not all Belongers are evil and vindictive to blame the present Government for the problems or mistakes made for the last 50 years. 2019 to 2021 is only 2 years. If things are so bad here why are so many of us here begging and fighting for belongership.

    Like 2
    Dislike 15
    • @@Ya awl says:

      because many have invested blood, sweat and tears here for many years. They have invested their all, they do not beg to become belongers, they have a right!

      Like 15
      Dislike 4
      • @@@Ya awl says:

        We all have a choice between giving our blood sweat and tears to our country of birth and giving it somewhere else. We choose to quietly leave our country of birth because we cannot make it there but come in a next country to be a bully. Could not bully our own but we find some nice kind hearted quiet people who we could bully. It make sence.

        Like 1
        Dislike 8
  12. @ FACTS & HOT AS H**L says:

    keep on fooling yourself , am afraid that WIG has frozen your brain ?

  13. GTFOH says:

    Jaspert and anybody with sense know that the only reason a COI a was requested was because of the volatile relationship between Fahie and the then governor. Some people are so stupid they are allowing politics to pull the wool over their eyes. Since 1971 there have been about 14 governors of the BVI. None found it necessary for a COI except the Gus. Was it because there was no corruption in the BVI at the time or were they ignoring it or not paying attention to what was happening in the BVI? At one point Fahie was actually begging the Governor to look into controversial projects like BVI Airways and they refused because it wasn’t an issue then. Why would Gus wait until his last days in office to request a COI if he knew about 4 years of corruption does that make sense to anybody with sense? Gus was angry and frustrated with Fahie. They were clashing frequently both publicly and privately. Letters were sent to the FCO by Fahie. They were not getting along and people like CSC who was seen as a spokesman affiliated with the government was making statements accusing Gus of being a racist etc. That’s why the COI was called. Gus wanted the “last lick” It is obvious if you have been paying attention or isn’t blinded by politics.

    Like 2
    Dislike 18
  14. Moo moo says:

    One off mistakes are not under scrutiny, systematic failings and corruption are.

    Like 17
  15. U ended up tying up yourself and others says:

    Just answer the questions..OMG. Simple. U have a good Lawyer who step in when he sees the need to….The Premier bla bla too much..Now he tie him self up..Make the PS look look foolish, make the country look guilty…We in Trouble

  16. BuzzBvi says:

    Clearly any properly functioning Government would have had no problem with the COI. They would even have assisted instead of setting up a legion of lawyers for what is an inquiry not a trial. And the useless other agency designed to add confusion amongst the thousands of unstructured un organised files.
    But we have not had proper Government for 30 years so no surprise COI has been a problem to them. And now piling on the racist dialogue as well. Ungrateful unhelpful people that do not understand they are a territory of the UK. Pretty basic and yet they do not know or understand that. It is alljust everyone elses fault…but “we would be fine manageing on our own!!” I don’t think so.

    Like 10
  17. Damon says:

    Irregardless of spiritual beliefs,life is such that we reap what we sow and we know that as fact. Andrew purports to be a devout Christian,praying and prayers before givng his answers to the COI inquiry and then opens his mouth with blatant l**s for the next hours, How???
    The man is typical of the most d****rous of humankind .
    Our ancestors ,their spirits are perturbed.

  18. LOVING BVI says:

    “There is no government that could survive a Commission of Inquiry and come out unblemished with the terms of reference like what you have been given, none,” Premier Fahie told the Commission. ‘

    Send them back to UK with these terms of refernce and see if it dont take 60 years

  19. Embarrassed says:

    He thought he could bully the COI with hostile rambling answers.

    When that failed, he tried to distract with a prepared political speech. After Sir Gary said he would not tolerate any more such irrelevant speeches, you see Mr. F become as cooperative as a nun.

  20. MK says:

    @@Ya awl, I don’t know of any country where you have a right to be a belonger or citizen.

  21. Boi says:

    But you the one who called for the COI for NDP! Now you crying like a baby? All we now seeing and hearing is you under the lights and camera! The lesson in this..never pull people down soo you can get up! Be humble!!

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