Premier gives COI conflicting reasons for board members’ removal
Premier Andrew Fahie has been accused of giving conflicting responses as to the reason for the removal of members from the Climate Change Trust Fund Board when his administration first entered office.
Giving evidence before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) yesterday, Premier Fahie said the board members couldn’t have been discharged from their duties since none of them ever received an actual revocation letter from his administration.
This was despite the fact that they had already been informed in April 2019 by way of a post-Cabinet government statement that they were no longer board members.
But Premier Fahie indicated to the COI that Cabinet changed its mind after that public notice about the board’s revocation and was in the process of “reconsidering”. Notably, he said this decision to reconsider was made outside of Cabinet so there is no public record of it.
He said Cabinet never finished reconsidering because of COVID-19. He further said it was during this process that the board members’ appointments expired. He said this was the reason they were no longer serving in their respective posts.
Premier flip-flopped between responses on how or why the board members were removed and he did not appear to settle on any one specific reason.
COI attorney Bilal Rawat then confronted the Premier with an undated written explanation that he (Fahie) had given to the COI on a previous occasion.
“[In that explantion], you say that the board was dissolved through the powers of the Cabinet memo. So, you don’t seem to be saying there, [at that time], that because you hadn’t written to people, they were still, in fact, technically in office,” said Rawat in reminding the Premier of his previous statements.
Fahie was further reminded that he previously pointed out that his government had invited board members to voluntarily resign. Fahie even admitted that the board has not been re-established since that time.
Rawat then suggested to the Premier that it was never his government’s intention to rescind Cabinet’s earlier decision to dissolve the board as he (Fahie) claimed.
The Premier was then asked whether the use of the words ‘rescind’ and ’re-establish’ in his document did not definitively show that the board had in fact been dissolved and that there was no attempt made to reconstitute the board after the former Attorney General (AG) Baba Aziz told Cabinet that their actions could be deemed unlawful.
The Premier in response said: “I can’t answer it in the way you answered it. You answered it how you want to conclude, I can only state what I’m stating.”
Further, when confronted by his earlier acceptance that the government went ahead with discharging the board despite receiving contrary advice from the former Attorney General, the Premier said it was not a fact he was prepared to accept, “full stop”.
The COI was further told that the board was never reconstituted at any time, more than two years after it had been dissolved.
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BVinews, call it what it is, he L**D, he bold face L**D TO THE COI!!!!!!!!
No he didn’t lie, he just isn’t prepared to accept facts hahaha wow
You can tell that this newsite hates the Premier and intends to try to tailor their stories and headlines to follow through with their devious plans. I watched the COI and never concluded what this article is saying about the evidence given by Fahie.
You must be deaf, dumb and blind if that’s your opinion. I’m pretty sure these articles are written based on what is being said in the COI. Please please remember those sessions are public per the request of the Honorable Premier. They can be seen LIVE, one can watch them on Youtube after the fact and/or read the printed transcript. There is no need for anyone, especially news outlets, to print anything not having been said. Even the Minister of Health statement about dogs and mace, which was basically just words making no sense at all, was printed word for word. As they say on the radio “reel and come again”.
No vision! No vision! It was all a lie from the day he took office.
Will there be a charge of perjury laid against the Premier?
Given the nature of the COI, it appears that this is the only criminal charge that can be laid using the Commission’s evidence.
Foy stop it! stop it! You’re man of god so therefore we want to hear the gospel truth
Everybody find out that he tells untruth. Time is up Andrew. The Lord elevated you so that people could see who you really are.
Fahie kept saying BVI is a young country and still developing; so it’s not like the UK. That is true, but it does not address the fact that from 1988 or so, until 2017 the BVI Government was awash with revenue which should have been put into world class infrastructure and education. It evaporated instead, under all governments, and we have third world infrastructure and education, which makes it much harder for business to prosper.
The other massive structural issue that is relevant is the way that the “informal” system the Premier keeps mentioning excludes all the foreigners who are legally in BVI, with expertise. They also can’t vote. This is why the BVI system is so fundamentally broken, and we are going in the wrong direction. Power is concentrated into the hands of a small minority of people who are inherently conflicted.
Fahie and others harp on incessantly about how the BVI is a small community where everyone knows everyone else. It is not. There is a small coterie of the ruling class from 10 or so families who certainly all know each other and are all related but they are far from the whole country. 1500 of them and 35,000 in the country.
Where are the Caucasians , Spanish, Indian-Guyanese, Phillipinos, in the government? There are plenty here. There are plenty of non African belongers many of whom were born here. Where are they in government?
Fahie runs one of the most racist and anti democratic governments on Earth as well as one of the most bloated, corrupt and inefficient. That’s why the COI will remove him.
How is it possible for these people to continue in power? They wilfully denied the BVI the massive and necessary rebuilding investment after Irma, on a personal whim, and now preside over a tumbleweed economy; roads, schools, water, power, ports all worse than ever. Think of the jobs and $700m stimulus that could have been ours if not for vanity.
What upset me the most is that within weeks of being elected, their first order of business was figuring out how to get people removed from boards, appoint their unqualified cronies and raised the stipend payments. Nowhere in the evidence showed where they were even concerned about how any of the boards were performing. What took the cake is the climate change board which is a very important one but was disbanded for 2 years and he still tried to defend his actions. The AG told them it was ILLEGAL to revoke the appointments and he said they took the ‘risk’ to go ahead with it. The ‘risk’? Then he continues with the rant about being a young government? This man is the Premier and has been in office over 20 years, young government? Which young government picks a fight with the UK and the Governor as soon as they are elected? This one bigger than you as we saw over the last two days of your evidence Premier.
Well said. He is too deceptive
How much are these stipend payments anyway. No one mentions amounts.
Must be a lot because these former board members are so angry they can’t sleep. Common guys Government all over the world change staffs and board members all over the world. Not too long ago NDP fired an honorable man from HLSC who was moving the college in the right direction just because of politics. He took his licks gracefully and moved on. He did not act entitled like you people. Shame on you all throwing a tantrum like babies. Go find another job.
Ocean l**e, f*t albert! I want them white boys do for his f*t a*** and send him down the river!
Andrew Fahie was at his best yesterday trying to outdo the COI but he didn’t have a chance in h**l of doing that, you are not in the same league as the COI you can try and BS us but not them they know you were not speaking the truth. I can’t understand a man who says he believes in God can sit there and carry on like that. Andrew I think you are trying to win the COI with Religion but they can see right through you. Andrew have you ever heard these words, the truth shall set you free. A lot of things that was done in the pass were wrong but both governments always believed that they didn’t have to answer to anyone. I would like to know what all those outside people you ran to, to complain about the COI what they think about you know you have been exposed.
So who is going to go forward with a judicial review? Cabinet acted unlawfully. Andrew was busted in his l**s.
I’m betting the COI isn’t done with that particular issue!
Wait till they get to the barges.
HOW IS IT THAT HE START OUT IN PRAYER, BUT FAIL TO END IN PRAYER. ?
Does anyone know if this particular board was in charge of the environmental tax being laid on visitors? What has this tax been used for and who has the receipts?
They weren’t “in charge” of it. They were supposed to be given 40 percent of the proceeds as seed money, which they testified just last week that they never got. It’s not known yet where the money went or whether it’s still there. I would like to know.
Well, fancy that?
I watched the Premier’s interviews and couldn’t help but to burst out with laugh despite the seriousness. What was laughable is to see how he is so used to s**t talking to the local populace that he thinks that nonsense will work in the COI. He said the government wanted to re-energize the boards. How the f**k can you re-energize something that you are not familiar with? The board revokations were done within weeks of taking office. When did they ever sit with the boards and evaluate them to see what type of ‘re-energizing’ they would need? How do you re-energize boards by putting people with no clue on them? Joke’s on you Premier, those sugar words don’t work around here, you have been caught pants down and it is extremely shameful for our Territory to sit and watch the leader embarrass us like that, especially in these pandemic times when we should’ve been focused on helping people. If you kept your mouth shut and remain focused we would not be under COI now. He keeps talking about young government when he as leader has been there for decades and should know better as he sat in Cabinet before.
The Premier in response said: “I can’t answer it in the way you answered it. You answered it how you want to conclude, I can only state what I’m stating.”
Mr. Rawat was reading from the very response the Premier himself provided, word for word but the Premier l**s so much he doesn’t even believe what he himself wrote. How can you write something and then say you can’t answer it the way he answered it. All he did was read what you wrote.
He is is under oath. if he repeats it, its an instant charge against him in any criminal proceeding.
He L** but he aint dumb. He just delaying the inevitable tho… so let him dance.
A large number of people were unlawfully removed from Government Offices, due to politics and friendship.
Well, it’s about time someone shines the light on him.
Now Hon. Fahie, we all know that most board members are politically appointed. We know there sole purpose is to advance the agenda of the ruling party and not necessarily that of the organization. Most aren’t there to improve/advance the organization but just appear too.
Example: BVIHSA. They continue to appoint members that have little to no knowledge in healthcare but yet they on there. They make decision that are not in the best interest of the authority. For years the public complaining about the services but little is done to improve it. Instead you get a fancy software that barely working on a good day. A clinic visit is the whole day after waiting months for appointment. A trip to the ER is like a mini field trip unless the ambulance brings you. This is just the tip of the iceberg of issues with that place.
Fahie allegedly bore false witness to COI. W is a flamming bottom and V does hit the sauce so hard he gotta go to AA classes.
Who to blame? Remember it’s a controversial government. (Llamoooo). The sad part of all of it though is that this week is observed as “the week of Repentance” in the territory. So, permit me to ask what is the meaning of all of this? As a God-fearing people we should practice what we preach and demonstrate exactly what we pretend to be. Maybe I am either deaf or lack the understanding to comprehend what is going on with the inquiry that is conducted with the CoI; but in my opinion the pieces are not fitting in the puzzle. As a nation we have lost our way. Lord, help us!
A cr—k A-s Mudasc—nt.
Move to Orlando or uk b4 we the people tar/feather u. U got time cause need to bring a ship to carry all that 2 cover f*t Albert.
What is the use of climate change trust fund board anyway? Big noise over nothing. A list of their achievements over the years will assist the public to understand their relevance.
This is a personal vendetor against the Premier. Just read the bloggs on this news site. Some persons are upset rasta ja.
Must be a lot because these former board members are so angry they can’t sleep. Common guys Government all over the world change staffs and board members all over the world. Not too long ago NDP fired an honorable man from HLSC who was moving the college in the right direction just because of politics. He took his licks gracefully and moved on. He did not act entitled like you people. Shame on you all throwing a tantrum like babies. Go find another job.