BVI News

Persons found guilty in COI probes must be held accountable

Governor Rankin

Governor John Rankin has urged that persons found culpable in ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI) corruption probes should be held accountable.

Several public officials have been hauled before the courts on charges of Breach of Trust, including former Education Minister Myron Walwyn, and former Head of Customs Wade Smith — all of whom have declared their innocence over those charges.

Governor Rankin pointed out that there were several ongoing criminal investigations, including those involving the Customs Department and the ESHS wall project, which ensnared the former Minister and his Permanent Secretary.

The Governor, while declining to offer any comment on the specific ongoing matters, argued that these investigations can be very complex and said they take time and need to be properly done to ensure fairness for all concerned.

“Trials will be coming up on those [investigations]. Again, I’m not going to comment on what may happen at those trials. That’s a matter for the courts, not for me,” the Governor shared. “But I am determined that there be proper investigations to ensure that if persons have been engaged in wrongdoing, that they are held accountable.”

He added: “And if they can be held accountable, that’s proper in their individual cases, but also better in terms of lessons learned for the future.”

Meanwhile, the Governor expressed that, on the issue of public officers being suspended in relation to the COI report and other investigations, he is determined that those matters are also properly investigated and that they are investigated in a way, which is fair to all concerned.

He stressed, however, that if public officers have acted wrongly, there should be proper investigations working with the Public Service Commission — an independent body that makes recommendations ultimately to the Governor — to ensure that these things don’t happen in the future.

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9 Comments

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  1. Just saying … says:

    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Latin for “who will guard the guards themselves?” Generally used to describe a situation in which a person or body having power to supervise or scrutinise the actions of others, is not itself or themselves subject to supervision or scrutiny.

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  2. GOV. Official #1… says:

    Get ready pardna…you up on deck next! Also ayo BVIPA staff who let containers out at night…

  3. Surely says:

    … persons found guilty of wrong doing should be held accountable. We first have to get to guilty. Every accused is entailed to due process, so we have to await this process to play out.

    Unfortunately, the DPP office has dropped the ball on so many high profile cases, that I in particular don’t have much confidence in their ability to get guilty verdicts. So all or most of these cases may just turn out to be duds.

    We shall see, but I’m not holding my breath because I will probably die first before a conviction. .

  4. Babby Dylon says:

    @ Just saying, you can stay there with your Latin question, but every boss has a boss, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord, we all got to serve somebody.

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  5. Hmm says:

    If this independent investigation could be applied across the board including on the Commissioner of Police and other matters of concern of alleged wrongdoing directly under the Governor responsibilities, then it would be fair and balance. But the truth be told, this is about “JUST US” (BVI PEOPLE) and not “JUSTICE”.

  6. Get lost says:

    Well if you are not going to comment and it’s a matter for the courts, why are you even talking about it. Same dog whistle tactics. Just hurry up and leave and go back to getting pushed down as you try to get on the central underground line or the filthy trains.

  7. @ HMM says:

    Why don’t you go to the toilet and relieve yourself then try to get acquainted with the truth / the fat lady hasn’t sing her song as yet , but the canary on the yellow site acting like he is judge jury and executioner ( sowamdie should complimented for drop kicking his asz out of the honorable house, along with his wig – when he took over from the X coach • you blocking a lot of bloggers on your site when their comments touch you * block this * you criticizing this site yet you cannot stay off bit and want to do most of the bloggings as you do on your yellow site – tahe overgrown ego of yours is going to do a KARMA on you sooner or later

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  8. Liar says:

    The devil is a liar. The people find the COP culpable. He must be held liable. So far, he has not and so that means that the Governor must also be found culpable. He must be held liable. The people find the UK agenda culpable. It must be held liable. The people find the slave owners, slavery promoters and slavery funders culpable. They must be held liable. The governor is an expert on who is found culpable and who must be held liable but he has not mentioned these. Is it that he is not such an expert as he leads on or is it that he is more culpable and more liable than meets the eyes.

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  9. ReX FeRaL says:

    Governor need to be investigated for his actions also. Breach of Trust
    also. Dam Devil in the VI.

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