Premier accused of throwing civil servants under the bus
Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn has accused Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley of deflecting blame onto public servants over the controversial $5 million deposit made into Bank of Asia, a move that sparked scrutiny after the bank’s owners filed for bankruptcy.
Walwyn criticised the Premier’s June 6 public statement, which claimed that placement of the funds was carried out by “designated public officers” under the Ministry of Finance.
“The Premier is throwing the civil servants under the bus,” Walwyn said. “Section 29 of the Public Finance Management Act says that money in the consolidated fund shall be kept with such bank as may be specified by the minister. Who is the minister? He is.”
Walwyn explained that the Bank of Asia account held no funds as at December 2024, but by the end of April 2025, it showed a $5 million deposit. “That money had to be placed between January and April,” he argued, during which time the bank’s owners had filed for bankruptcy and a freezing order had been issued.
“Why would the government of the Virgin Islands place $5 million into that bank, wholly well-knowing — or ought to have known — that there was trouble?” Walwyn questioned.
The Premier has since requested an internal audit into the transaction, but Walwyn called this an inadequate solution. “Audit reports are not public. The public will not see that report. It is an internal management tool,” he argued. “You cannot have someone who presides over an investigation when they are institutionally responsible for the matter.”
He has since written to Governor Daniel Pruce, calling instead for a full investigation led by the Governor’s Office, citing the need for transparency and independence.
“The Governor has all the branches underneath him to be able to give the people of the Virgin Islands that answer,” he said.
Walwyn criticised what he described as attempts to confuse the public. “He thinks the people are foolish,” he said of the Premier. “We’re talking about $5 million of taxpayers’ money.”
The Opposition is expected to continue pressing for answers when the House of Assembly reconvenes. “We cannot play cat and mouse with the people’s money,” Walwyn asserted. “The people deserve the truth.”
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Keep the pressure on him Hon. Walwyn. He is not being truthful. He keeps picking at little, irrelevant things and saying that they are not true but he wouldn’t come out and say what the truth is. This is why we need an independent investigation into the issue. The Premier is trying to manipulate the process. It is clear and this cannot be allowed to happen. He must be held accountable for actions or omissions.
There seems to be a lot of troubling things involved in this Bank of Asia situation. It puzzles me as to why the government would deposit 5 million dollars into the bank during the time when the owners filed for bankruptcy. We will very likely lose all of that money. The Minister of Finance must be made to answer for this but he cannot be the same person to lead the investigative or audit process. And he has already started to evade accountability to the people by calling for an internal audit. An internal audit or an audit by the auditor general cannot answer the question why he deposited the money in the bank at that time. Only a thorough investigation could answer that. We need answers!
@ Anonymous etal….Who is the President of that bank?
Exactly – none other than the nephew of our cherished Junior Minister. A family affair.
So now he is blaming the accountant general for putting the money in Bank of Asia? Could civil servants just put government money where they want to put it?
I guess his SECRET internal report will just say in it what he tells them to say.
COI did nothing for VI because of these politicians.
Should have followed the main recommendation and the people would have had the Territory back by now.
Qur poor Country.
Here’s a play by play of how this will go, Myron will say where is the 5 mil, Natalio will say where is the 7 mil, then someone will ask what about the 60 mil it seems it’s a completion as to who can give away more of taxpayers money with little to no regards.
Natalio need to ask Lorna in his corner about the 7M. She would definitely know more about it than anybody else.
Who was the leader of the Gvt.when 7mil… went down the drain???
Brother, leave the numbers game alone. VIP will lose horrible.
Look who calling kettle black. Who throw others under the bus for the high school wall?
I never heard Myron throw anyone under the bus for the wall. Telling l**s seems to be embedded in some of us.
Go ask who knows. I am merely calling a spade a spade.
Go ask old staff from education ministry and Moorings.
You need throwing somewhere now with your hater attitude. I don’t believe you. Give it a rest.
That’s why they wanted Ronnie and Marlon who would be fast asleep or towing the indigenous entitlement clique position as a right to embezzlement and traveling and parties with the old BVI people tax money that they worked hard and pay into the consolidated fund, that holy man John cline and Claude must be pulling out their hair from their heads that this crooked bank of Asia deal can’t be quietly swept under the carpet, they praying for the alliance to be quiet, they even hope the august festival let the people forget it. Turnbull and Myron and Mather and BVI people just press on don’t give up.
VIP, VIP, VIP NDP, NDP and VIP all did and still doing the same thing.That is the way our governments have performed in their political bubble all the years of politics.
When time, they comeout, ask for another job, and the fools again give them another job in hopes of getting better performances, only to be fooled once again.
Yes, politics here need a complete reset, a new beginning with new minds.
All of the Politicians do this at their convenience. Set of pretentious, hot air blowing, uncourageous Cowards.
All politicians may be like that but not all Leaders are like that. There are genuinely Leaders who truly care about the country they lead… Ibrahim Traore for Burkina Faso and I truly believe Myron will be a great leader for these Virgin Islands, like him or not, he has what it takes
All of the political parties are playing you guys for pawns. They are no different to each other. Now we have activists pushing their own personal agenda and feelings on people as if they care about the BVI. Pull the files and you will see that some of the same ones pushing for marches etc. encouraged people to vote for the same people that are elected now. Don’t take my word for it, the evidence is there and clear to see.
I want to know who have so much power to shift around 5 million dollars without the minister of finance knowing or approving it.
You know the answer
That’s what narcissistic, sociopathic people do. It can’t be their fault if something goes wrong, it’s always someone else’s fault.
To ain’t seeing the setup. Same players with BVIAirways fiasco are the same player in this BoA fraud. Who initiated the transfer of funds during BVIAirways (contrary to the terms of the contract) and also had a key hand in the $5mill to BoA?
Yah. Same players, different scheme to defraud the BVI and leave the public holding the bag while they travel 1st class and sip Moët on the taxpayers dime…..how is this possible?!?!
Where are the criminal investigations? White collar crimes PAY in the BVI!!!
I could be wrong BUT I have a strong feeling that there is an Influential Group of Persons who has
something powerful on the Premier and He cannot behave differently as long as He wants to hold on to Power. It He knows what is truth and is stubborn or afraid to reveal that Truth and is Hoping that the People of the BVI would after a while Let it go, Then His whole Political Life should be scary. What is very interesting to Note, He continues to do and say things thinking that He is the only one on the Planet and He has NO ONE to answer to. Now that is Scary. For the sake of everyone involved in his Reign as Premier, I hope the end results would be Favourable for All. I rest my Case. 2025, A Very Interesting Year!!!
If Junior Minister Smith is still around come Monday you will have your answer…
Independence them say
IT WAS YOU ( YES YOU JUDGE WIGGIE & AND SAINT ANDREW ) WHO PAID YHOSE WANNABE CONTRACTORS TO SABOTAGE THE WALL TO MAKE WALWYN LOOK BAD / THATS WHY THIS GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING AFTER THEM TO MAKE THEM COMPLET YHE KOB THAT YHEY WERE PAID FOR / BUT YOU AIRING YOU BIG MOUTH TO CREATE DISTRACTION / IF WALEYN WINS , I HOPE HE WILL GO AFTER THESE SNAKES IN THE GRASS WHOM HE PUT FOOD ON YHEIR TABLES AND THEY STILL TURNED AROUND AND STABBED HIM IN HIS BACK – FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE , AND XENOPHOBIA MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN IT TOO / BUYT ONE HOOD THING IS WALWYN NOW KNOW WHO HIS ENEMIES ARE .
To me if FSC was doing their job it wouldn’t have even have had a bank of asia to put the money in. somebody need to explain why they were allowed to operate even though they were not in compliance for years.
He been throwing people under the bus since hlscc why yall shocked? He trew people under the bus when he was the minister of education. What you think he was going to stop when he became the Premier. He is what you call C.Y.A at any cost. You can catch this man red handed and he going still buss you a shaggy and say it wasn’t me.
Independence them say
IS THAT YOU GOT ANOTHER NEW NAME BUT YOUR SH* TTY LYRICS REMAINS THE SAME ( YOU AIN’T A JUDGE BUT YOU PLAYING ONE ON YOUR YELLO SITE AND NOW YOU PLAYING ” TRUMP ” ON THIS SITE WITH YOU DUPLICITOUS BLOGGING LIKE YOU CAN FORCE IT DOWN OUR THROATS AND MAKE US THINK LIKE YOU ( BRING THE EVIDENCE , OR HUSH LIARD
No, neither a follower of any site basically, but am a judge of fouled and insane charaters,
If God was real and watching then he is not a good God, no way a just and good God would allow wicked people to suffer and punished so many innocent people..Here at home and all over the world, he would wipe them out..God we need a leadership solution fast. Time to show that you are real.
Why it taking the governor so long to respond to the leader of the opposition’s request for his office to look into this!? What is his purpose if he not going to do anything!?