Premier disputes narrative that Dame Hodge ‘sent’ to BVI

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has pushed back against the narrative that UK anti-corruption czar Dame Margaret Hodge was deployed to the Virgin Islands on a fact-finding mission by the United Kingdom.

During a recent press conference, Dr Wheatley disputed public comments made by UK Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty, who stated he instructed Dame Hodge to visit the BVI. Instead, the Premier asserted that the visit stemmed from an invitation extended by his administration.

“I was a little surprised at how the visit was characterised in some of the media reports. That doesn’t reflect my recollection at all,” Dr Wheatley stated. “Certainly, we are inviting her here because we believe she can benefit from engaging with our very responsible professionals here… and also the fight against illicit finance, which we take very seriously,” he explained.

According to Doughty, the UK government wants “rapid, consistent progress across the board” on transparency. He said, “As an immediate next step, I have asked Baroness Hodge to undertake a fact-finding visit to the British Virgin Islands and report back to me.”

When asked whether the UK minister’s claim was inaccurate, Dr Wheatley responded, “I’ll leave you to determine whether he was wrong or right or anybody else who’s listening. But I’m making it very clear that we did invite her.”

He also rejected suggestions that the visit represented a “slap on the wrist” for his government. “We are proud people… and we are doing what we have to do to be a responsible financial centre,” he asserted.

Dame Hodge’s visit comes amid ongoing UK scrutiny of the BVI’s progress in implementing reforms from the 2022 Commission of Inquiry (COI) report. Premier Wheatley said Minister Doughty had commended the territory for completing all required COI reforms but wanted assurances that the changes could be sustained across future administrations.

Dr Wheatley reiterated that the BVI had made significant progress on its beneficial ownership regime and emphasised its international cooperation. “Since 2018, the BOSS system has met the highest standards of collation of beneficial ownership information. UK law enforcement can receive requested information almost immediately,” he stated.

The Premier concluded that open dialogue with the UK remains critical, especially on contentious issues such as financial transparency. “We would hope… there’ll be a little more balance in their views,” he said. “Sometimes they make… reckless and outlandish statements in regards to the Virgin Islands. And the Virgin Islands isn’t really that caricature that they’ve painted us to be.”