No substantive talks held between Premier and UK OT Minister on COI
Despite the major expense the Commission of Inquiry (COI) had on the BVI government, Premier Andrew Fahie did not seek to discuss this financial impact with the UK Minister of Overseas Territories, Amanda Milling when she visited the territory two weeks ago.
Premier Fahie gave that indication during a press conference on Friday when he also disclosed that the government spent approximately $5 million on the COI so far.
“The Minister and I did not have any substantive discussion about it, except to note that the [COI] report would be completed in April,” the Premier said at a recent press briefing.
“In summary, Minister Milling and I and our respective teams had very good bilateral talks and engagement. Her visit builds on the genuine efforts being made on both sides to restore the modern partnership between the Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom, and I am confident that we can continue to make good progress in this regard,” Fahie added.
Didn’t see it fit
When questioned as to why he did not bring up the negative impacts of the COI on the territory’s finances, Fahie said he did not see it fit.
“[Discussions were held but] not in this vein of how you are saying, we were clear about initiatives we wanted to do to diversify the economy. We mentioned those same areas just in the past of how they have had economic impacts, negative economic impacts on the territory and the world and we had to make some adjustments and we had some good discussions,” the Premier added.
He noted the discussions held were in the vein of having to deal with all the events that occurred in the territory in recent years that hit the territory’s economic progress. The Premier said these included the two major hurricanes and separate floods that affected the BVI back in 2017, as well as having to deal with the threat of COVID-19 and the current fallout of the Ukraine and Russia crisis.
“I cannot join you in your question trying to isolate one section as that is the only section I was referring to. I was saying a build-up of all those has bred a lot of economic hardship overall. Any country that goes through all of that will experience some financial challenges in different areas and what we are saying is in order to ease the burden on the people of the Virgin Islands we have come up with some initiative bearing we had to deal with those I mentioned,” Premier Fahie told the press.
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SEEMS TO BE THE VERDICT FOR HIM
I doubt they talk meaningfully to anyone they are planning to put in jail.
I wonder if he signed any documents?
Andrew Fahie, I hope no one in the UK forgets your behavior through out the last 3 years how disrespectful you were to the governor the UK and your behavior with the COI. You spent 5 million on lawyers because you knew you guilty of *** now you are saying you did it for the name of the country. In the first place it was not a hearing it was an inquiry no need to have a lawyer your AG could have stand in for you. The lawyer from the UK knew that you didn’t need a lawyer but he saw easy money and he took it. The people of the BVI were fool by your sweet talk we hope that the UK don’t fall in the same trap like we did. UK we need you to take over the running of the BVI for about 2 years get us back on track and show these politician that the UK is not going to stand for the behavior of the last 2 governments I think that’s the way forward.
It would be a shame if the COI would not come up with a verdict with that US$ 5 million tab
The current Govt wasted $5 million dollars of the taxpayers money to defend them wasting the taxpayer’s money or siphoning it to bank accounts in Panama. It’s Ironic.
For $5 million dollars we could have:
A completed high school
A National Swimming and Watersports program for 10 years
A working sewage treatment plant
A Social and Welfare program.
An Island Wide Bus System
A Short extension to our runway to enable East Coast Flights
In Britain the guardian recently carried a story titled ” UK minister in BVI for urgent talks on sanctioning Russian oligarchs. The wed 23 March edition reads….A Foreign Office minister has flown to the British Virgin Islands to hold urgent discussions on how sanctions against Russian oligarchs with cash stored in the secretive islands can be implemented, amid fears UK tax havens may provide a loophole for those trying to escape the international clampdown. The article by Diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour claims Amanda Milling’s visit follows news that a succession of oligarchs appeared to have hidden their assets in trusts based in the BVI in a bid to put them beyond reach of UK sanctions. Interested persons should research this article and know the facts. Shame on those are trying to keep us in perpetual darkness so they can play us like fools. BVI wake up. We are being led by coconuts.
The Guardian was very dishonest in their reporting. The UK Minister travelled to the BVI on the invitation of the Premier. The dates were set before Russia invaded Ukraine. Shame on the Guardian.