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Overseas Territories also concerned about COI in BVI — CARICOM

The CARICOM flag.

Other British Overseas Territories have noted concerns about the UK-sanctioned Commission of Inquiry (COI) launched in the British Virgin Islands.

This is according to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which also declared its disapproval of the inquiry in an official statement last Friday, February 26.

CARICOM said its “heads of government noted the strongly-expressed concerns on this matter by the British Virgin Islands government, which concerns are also shared by other Associate Members of the Community”.

Its Associate Members are Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands.

CARICOM — an organisation of 20 states and dependencies — further said it is “dismayed” at how the COI was established with “no consultation, or prior communication between the UK government and the duly-elected government of the British Virgin Islands”.

COI moves into ‘second stage’

On January 21, days before departing office, former governor, Augustus Jaspert ordered the COI to investiagte whether corruption, abuse of office, or other serious dishonesty may have taken place amongst public, elected and statutory officials in recent years.

And according to COI Secretary Steven Chandler, the inquiry’s Commissioner, Sir Gary Hickinbottom and his team have started the “second stage” of the COI.

Chandler said this stage involves obtaining further information and documentation predominantly from public officials, including elected and statutory officials.

“The Commissioner has the powers of a High Court Judge to require production of information and documents by way of summons. However, given that the BVI Government has indicated that it will fully and promptly cooperate with any requests for information/documents, the Commissioner is initially making requests for voluntary disclosure. The Commission will continue to make these requests over the coming weeks to enable it to fulfil its Terms of Reference,” the COI Secretary said in a statement on Friday.

“It will also outline how the Commissioner intends to enforce the production of documents and information if requests for voluntary disclosure are not met. In the meantime, the Commission renews its open invitation to anyone who believes they have information that may assist the Inquiry, who has not yet submitted it to the Commission, to submit that information as soon as possible via the secure website portal (www.bvi.public-inquiry.uk),” he added.

The Commissioner intends this week to set out how he expects requests for information and documentation to be met.

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29 Comments

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  1. Who cares says:

    The other OT’s are just as concerned with having a COI as their governments are just as corrupt and unsustainable as that of the BVI. If you don’t like the COI and prefer corruption purported by your brethren then simply vote yourselves Independent and go the way of Haiti and most African countries. If you wish to have a prosperous and law abiding country then allow the COI to weed out the corruption and place the BVI on solid footing. One last ting, if you are going to use the race card and the master/slavery bullshit then please remember that the tourists that support the BVI are all Clears. If you hate the Clears so much then please do advertise this to the world along with your desire for Independence. The Clears will certainly not come to support you and the cruise ships can find other ports. BVILove my a**!!

    Like 60
    Dislike 8
  2. Reply says:

    I’m curious if the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is concerned about alleged corruption among member states or they are ok with it?

    IMO, CARICOM should be standing on the side of good governance among their member states rather than strongly-expressed concerns after a member states has been accused of corruption.

    Like 33
    Dislike 2
  3. BVI 2021 says:

    If you welcome the COI check the thumbs up button; if not, check the ?

    Like 70
    Dislike 1
  4. KARMA says:

    So the BVI went to seek support from Caricom about the commission of inquiry and how the UK government is treating us. Did they bother to tell Caricom how badly they treated the people from those caricom countries when the pandemic started? Telling them to go home, locked them out of the country, one minister said he would flush them out, wouldn’t renew their work permits etc. Now we are looking the support from the heads of those people that we treated like dogs. Are we for real?

    Like 50
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    • Will say this says:

      THAT BVI LOVE SLOGAN NEEDS TO BE TOSS OUT THE WINDOW. BVI LOVE? LMAO. LOOK AT THE WAY THEY TREAT PEOPLE FROM OTHER CARIBBEAN ISLANDS. STANDING ON MANY LINES, I HAVE HEARD THE DIRTY LITTLE DIRTY DISGUSTING THINGS THAT IS SAID ABOUT PEOPLE FROM OTHER CARIBBEAN ISLANDS. DON’T GET INVOLVED WITH WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE BVI.

      Like 19
      Dislike 1
  5. WE TOO BAD says:

    Now they see that the BVI is not a continent and that we need the support of the countries. What a lesson to learn. We spit on the other Caribbean countries and now we want their backing to take on mother England. They shouldn’t study us!

    Like 36
    Dislike 1
  6. Rubber Duck says:

    Look round the Caribbean, which are the prosperous states with western standards of living? Bermuda, Cayman, BVI, Turks, Anguilla. What do they have in common?

    Which independent Caribbean country has the same standard of living?

    Like 14
    Dislike 1
    • Independence is so much more says:

      Independence is so much more than standard of living and economics. It about self-determination. Its about falling down but having the strength and courage to get up again. It about a group of people who have been told by others that they can’t to resoundingly say yes we can. I would say that many of these countries, if not all, have progressed since independence. They have had to stand on their own through hurricane, pandemic, world economic crisis and the list goes on but they are still here. Their per capita income and human development indexes are among the best in the developing world. Is there corruption in the governance in these countries? Yes, there certainly is. I would hasten to say however that like the BVI, USA, UK and any other country in the world, the level of corruption in any nation is a reflection of the corruption in its wider society. I will say further if integrity lies within us then WE THE PEOPLE would have dealt with the corruption around us. Whatever the COI unearths will not change anything until we begin to take a look at ourselves and the levels of corrupt behavior we participate in and allow in our lives and around us everyday.

      Like 3
      Dislike 1
      • Rubber Duck says:

        Now why do I suspect you are a rich person who would continue to be rich. This inept government has driven people to the brink of destitution with its uncaring attitude. Now you want to lower peoples living standards even more in the name of some mythical “ freedom”. Freedom to do what, pillage and rape the state even more?

        Like 5
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      • What type of independence? says:

        In South East Asia, several poor countries joined together to form ASEAN. This group is now achieving strong economic growth, year after year.

        Why can’t a few rag-tag so-called independent Caribbean islands and states do the same? After 25 years, CARICOM still can’t form a proper single market. Who is going to take CARICOM seriously?

        And yet we run to them to tell the world we are not corrupt? The truth is: we are corrupt and hopefully the COI will expose it and make good recommendations for change.

  7. DEAR CARICOM says:

    As a citizen of the BVI, I will say this, WHO SEES IT KNOWS IT, WHO LIVES IT KNOWS IT. WE HAVE SAT BACK AND TURN A BLIND EYE. WE THE PEOPLE WELCOME THE COI. WE JUST GOT BURNED OUT WITH THE CORRUPTION AND VICTIMIZATION. THE PAST GOVERNOR WHO WAS ONE OF THE BEST GOVERNORS WE HAVE HAD BY FAR THAT THEY COULD NOT MANIPULATE, BULLIED OR TOLD WHAT TO DO BECAME THE ENEMY. IF THEY HAD CONTROL OVER HIM LIKE THAT, EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN PEACHY KEEN. JASPERT BEAT THEM AT THEIR OWN GAME. HE KNEW WHAT WAS UP.

    Like 41
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  8. @WE TO BAD says:

    I am not looking for any support to take on MOTHER ENGLAND. WE CANNOT BE WRONG AND STRONG AT THE SAME TIME. I WELCOME AND APPRECIATE THE COI INVESTIGATION.

    Like 31
    Dislike 2
    • True says:

      If nothing is found kudos to the current government for making it right. Making it right after the beginning of a COI is not cool though; too late.

  9. 123 says:

    CARICOM should be ashamed! Their statement means they are okay with their members being Corrupt.

    Like 16
    Dislike 1
  10. @DEAR CARICOM says:

    We the people want the UK to run the Country for the next two years until a new GOVERNMENT IS ELECTED INTO OFFICE. THE PROPLE HAVE LOST TRUST IN OIR GOVERNMENT. THEY CANNOT BE TRUSTED. THAT IS WHAT WE WANT. OKAYYYY?

    Like 13
    Dislike 1
  11. Birds of a feather says:

    They’re all alike and only interested in their own personal advancements. None of them premiers or prime ministers better than the next. Sixe one way half dozen the next. While youall looking at BVI start to clean up your own house and look after your people properly

    Like 11
  12. Anonymous says:

    @Who cares, WELL SAID.

  13. The truth to all of us says:

    Bunch of black sellout demon people see why slavery was meant for u all …from I white man that know half or all of u pushing for coi is the same ones in high places that broke protocol to serve ur own interests…same dam curupt bad minded evil b***hes u worst but god dont sleep..we got coi and corvid 19 …the banks go soon call up

  14. Chosen says:

    Why worry if there is nothing to hide if we are clean let them investigate

  15. Just my 2 cents says:

    Is this the position of CARICOM? Utter disturbing and disgraceful. It appears that our leaders wish not to be held accountable. Indeed, corruption is rooted in all systems of politics, however, when it has erupted to the point of being systematic, there must be repercussions and not only through the electoral mechanism.

    Sorry to say, but CARICOM should not attempt to undermine the integrity of the inquiry but rather, should maintain a neutral position.

  16. Anonymous says:

    If you think the UK is as or more corrupt as the BVI ,push thumbs up.

    Like 5
    Dislike 3
  17. Anonymous says:

    The fact that theree are more thumbs down indicates that the UK is more corrupt than the BVI, because respondents level of biases are more hypocritical in thier choice not to respond and or to respond in favor of, research psychology suggest.

  18. Say What! says:

    You had to be a foreigner or a very racist person to write this BS. What the h**l would you gain. Maybe you are one of the persons advising the governor on this mess to cause the entire island to suffer while the “clear” profit from the money of the COI. Carry your racist a++ home, tourist will always come, they go to Britain, the most racist and corrupt nations in the world. Yes, they are and going around the world to correct others while ripping them off!!
    Waiting on your a** to response!!!

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