BVI News

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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16 Comments

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  1. bruh says:

    Accountability has never been the BVI strongsuit, and that is why we are not capable of self-governing.

    Like 42
    Dislike 1
  2. Roll eyes says:

    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.

    Like 23
    Dislike 6
  3. Investigation says:

    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.

    Like 13
  4. Talk talk says:

    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!

    Like 15
  5. Lol says:

    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.

  6. He need to says:

    Blame he two cousin them

  7. A breath of fresh air says:

    D8, let’s vote for Dicky’s daughter instead

    • @A breath of fresh air says:

      The one who talked about the same government she has now joined to contest District 8? One word: Opportunist.

  8. @ Roll Eyes. says:

    I Agree With You 1000%, But The Same Can Be Said For The Whole Territory. We Are Living In One Shit Hole Country.

  9. NDP make me sick says:

    I don’t want to hear a word from the mouth of people like Marlon Penn. When Myron wrote the governor seeking an audit Marlon jumped up like a real fool defending his cousin saying we could handle our own problems and that an internal audit was good enough. Now he is opposition leader he saying the same things Myron said but heads must roll now? Miss me with hypocrisy and fake love for the BVI. I am sick and tired of all of Ayo. There is no love for country. It’s love for self and pure jealousy at play in that Assembly. Now Bishop Cline is doing lives on Facebook cussing the Premier but when Myron, who is elected mind you, was doing it he was one who come out saying that Myron must stop badgering the Premier. I don’t like VIP but I would vote for them any day over that deceitful NDP Club. They make me sick! Ayo think we ain’t watching ayo?

  10. Joker says:

    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

  11. SMURF TRYING AH TING says:

    NOW THAT THE WIGGED ONE HAS GRADUATED TO A NEW ROLE OF ” CONSULTANT ” PERHAPS SMURF CAN ÞDO THE SAME AS NAT-AL-EO DID WITH THE 3RD DISTRICT REP & WATZ DE MATTER AND BOUGHT DEM , JUST LIKE HOW THE WHITE COLONIALIST SLAVE MASTERS DID CENTURIES AGO , AND BUY CSC AS A “CONSULTANT” THEN THAT WILL BE AN ALL OUT WAR OF THE “CONSULTANTS” TO SEE WHO’S GOT THE BALLZ , MEANWHILE ” NATTIE AND SMURFIE” WILL JUST SIT BACK AND LET THEM TAKE ALL THE HEAT FOR THEIR INCOMPETENCE AND THEY IN TURN , CAN USE THE WHITE BOYZ AS THE USUAL EXCUSE , WHICH HAS BECOME THE NEW NORM FOR YEARS NOW ~ WE ALL KNOW THE BROKEN RECORD CHORUS. ON THE WHITE COLONIALIST SLAVE MASTERS- DID THIS & DID THAT -OR ITS DRM ISLAND PEOPLE DID THIS & DID THAT / AND WE KNOW THEY BOTH HAVE A WAY WITH WORDS -OHHHHH YEAH .

    Like 1
    Dislike 1
  12. baba yaga says:

    if the need to be dealth with legally then we can start when Marlon take sewage money from East End and put into the cruiseship park, what about the direct flight under the NDP when both the money and plane is still missing why he dont put legal consequences on hemself an rest of the NDP see the speck in other but not your own, you are lazy, just love to run your mouth, we have three East End man running the country both the 7 & * district and FS doing bunch of crap

  13. Real says:

    A real political Poppyshow he is.

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