Penn says ‘heads must roll’ for the $7.5M gov’t lost
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn is demanding accountability after revealing what he said amounts to some $7.5 million in government investment losses, insisting that those responsible must face legal consequences rather than internal reviews.
Penn’s call comes as several voices have also urged the UK and local government to take strong action over the financial losses and provide full transparency to the public.
In a written statement released publicly, the Opposition Leader said the $7.5 million includes the $2.5 million that the BVI lost after investing in a Jamaican company Delta Capital Partners Limited, as well as the government’s earlier $5 million deposit in Bank of Asia (BVI), which was flagged for liquidation in 2025.
Penn accused the Virgin Islands Party administration of “incompetence, negligence and mismanagement” and rejected Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley’s explanation that he was unaware of the Delta Capital investment.
Penn argued that the Public Finance Management Act requires the Minister of Finance to approve investments from the Consolidated Fund, making the Premier ultimately accountable.
“Convenient ignorance is not a defence. It is a confession,” Penn declared. “Heads must roll. Those who authorised these losses, those who signed off on these reckless gambles, those who sat in silence while millions disappeared—they must be brought to account. Not with a slap on the wrist, not with a quiet internal review, but with the full, unyielding force of the law.”
Penn also announced that, in his capacity as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, he will write to the Auditor General requesting a full, independent investigation into the Delta Capital investment. He said the probe should examine every approval, signature, email and decision connected to the transaction.
The Opposition Leader further accused the government of failing to answer questions in the House of Assembly, claiming the administration has avoided scrutiny for nearly a year. He argued that the latest controversy reflects the same culture of weak accountability highlighted by the Commission of Inquiry.
Amid mounting criticism, Premier Wheatley has maintained that the investments were made without his knowledge, saying an internal review found that the $5 million Bank of Asia deposit was authorised by the former Accountant General rather than elected officials. The Premier has also said he was unaware of the $2.5 million Delta Capital investment and has pledged further investigations into how the transaction occurred.
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Accountability has never been the BVI strongsuit, and that is why we are not capable of self-governing.
Heads must roll for how East End look. We need a new representative. You ain’t do nothing to improve our community in the 15 years you are our representative. We need somebody new.
Just like how they rolled for the 7.2.
I can remember vividly like yesterday when Myron had called for an external investigation into the bank of Asia $5.5 million dollars and both Marlon and Ronnie and John cline and the trickster pastor Claude was all over the media pulling the hair from their head shouting it don’t need no investigation, and that natalio Wheatley could just investigate himself internally and see the best way to move our tax money next time and that’s the end of the story , money lost no one accountable , now because Marlon is getting licks from the public that he don’t cut it as any opposition leader, he gone try some of Myron ideas to see if he could get attention, then in the middle of it he will drop it because he don’t want to miss that opportunity to go UK to negotiate the constitution, what can Marlon or natalio offer in a constitution talk? At present natalio keep squealing colonialism, and he [allegedly] have them remove the HOA broadcast from zbvi radio, but up to this day from since slavery the propaganda BBC radio brings it’s news about our metropolis UK news before any local virgin islands news, just imagine we got to wait on the British to talk all their crap as news and then our human and social issues come last. But this Marlon and all you HOA members and entitlement indeginous elites that went against Myron will never fulfill another man’s destiny in this world, so you all cant do Myron work.
Where was this man when the opposition tried to put forward the no confidence motion/vote? Did he not intentionally stay away? So he is part of the problem, is he not? That was before all that money that got lost, was it not? So what exactly qualifies him to make these statements now? A joke!
He’s right and we must not play paritison politics with accountability. I am no great fan of thr NDP but if this was done by them we would be raising hell. Someone is responsible and therefore someone must be held accountable.
Blame he two cousin them
D8, let’s vote for Dicky’s daughter instead
So let me get this straight, when it was about the 5 million in BOA he was ok with Natalio doing an internal audit on himself. Now it’s 2.5M he want an audit by the auditor general? SMH