Premier to seek funding from HoA to pay outstanding balance on Speaker’s legal fees
Premier Andrew Fahie will be retroactively seeking taxpayer funds from the House of Assembly to pay the remaining balance of Speaker of the House Julian Willock’s legal fees for the now-concluded court battle between himself and opposition legislator, Mark Vanterpool.
This is according to a post-Cabinet report on its September 18 meeting.
The report said, “Cabinet decided to waive the tender process — to take effect from April 2019 — to provide legal services in the case BVIHCV2019/0087 Mark Vanterpool versus Julian Willock.”
The report further said, “Cabinet agreed that the Government of the Virgin Islands enter into a contract with Veritas Law to provide legal consultation and representation with respect to the case in the amount not to exceed $274,625.20 and that the Minister of Finance seeks from the House of Assembly the required funding to effect the outstanding payment and that it be reflected in the next Schedule of Additional Provision to be introduced in the House.”
The seventh sitting of the first session of the fourth House is scheduled for October 17.
More than $130k paid already
On August 1, Premier Fahie told the House that the legal fees incurred up to that date were $270,526.90.
He said: “The amount billed to date is $270,526.90. The amount paid [so far] is $130,525.20.”
READ: Why Willock and Vanterpool went to court
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Every one knew that it was time I need 25 HOA
Why isn’t the speaker paying his own legal fees. If he had followed the advice from the AG, the Govt legal adviser, then there would have been no court action and no fees!
He needs to pay for his stupidness – and maybe it will make him humbler!
He should be fired. He refused to follow advice from the experts and has cost the Government (us the people) a huge amount.
In the private sector this would not be tolerated and it shouldn’t be in this case.
I agree with you, he should pay his own legal fees. Right government owe MANY MANY business owners for services rendered…some have been owed for over 5 months and it’s not fair to the people who have completed their work and still getting the run around for their payment
Now tell the people of this virgin islands, that under your administration honourably premier, another hundred thousand dollars and more of our people’s hard earned tax money is being wasted on total nonsense. Then again the people paying your security team millions, when no investigations were launched on your so called life threats. And you sit there in the house impossing ridiculous taxes on my people, wanted to charge for outoing Western Union an Money Gram transactions. Mr Fahie your walking up a slippery slope the people are not asleep. They trusted you to lead this country in the right direction and your letting them down. Under your watch the government’s treasury is being depleted by the minute and you constantly turn a blind eye. The people shall soon see your slate isn’t as “Ponteus Pilate” as you claim. The people of this virgin islands, yours and mine shall soon hold you accountable for your lack of leadership and poor cabinet management.
Please stop lying and trying to paint a false picture of the Premier and his team. Your ndp left the country in disarray so stop it. They are the reason due to their corruption why we have the RDA. Also had the AG not advised Mark then he could have represented the Speaker for free but he decieved the government side which allpwed these cost to be. So please get your facts straight.
Talk bout corruption lady, fahie administration demote Mr Pickering from head of port an put in a known VIP supporter whose track record in labour speaks for itself. She has a h******e attitude just like the old people in government think they have all the power in the world an the end all with them. Then KF in charge of the airport half the public doesn’t even know. Can’t even imagine they couldn’t find a young qualified man or woman locally to fill that post. Take a old man out a retirement whose bread done butter, just to keep your own happy. No one is saying you can’t look out for your own but Andrew them doing this thing bold face, ignoring the cries of the public. Where’s the transparency Mr. so called premier.
Where does corruption come in? That is grasping at straws. THe most corrupt government was the ndp. There is no like them now nor again. Those of you who are not giving value for money on your job should stop winning
The people is now realizing that they were conned and sucked into the Premier lies. VIP, your CARDS HAVE BEEN PEEPED. NEXT ELECTION,WHAT IS VIP GOING TO CAMPAGIAN ABOUT AND WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO TO GET REELECTED. EVERYONE OF YOU WILL BE ESCORTED TO THE CURB COME NEXT ELECTION. #CURBwalk.
It is clear that some of the ndp have been assigned to work over time to try to paint the vip in a negative light while trying to take our minds off of Mark Vanterpool who created all this mess now and in the past. The VIP has shown in 8 months what the ndp has not showed in 8 yrs which is that they are for the people of the Virgin Islands first and foremost. Whether you like some of their decisions or not is another matter however they have made many excellent decisions.
After 8 years of corruption some of you got the nerve about a few thousand at least it did not go to jw pockets. How much of the ndp bloggers can say that?
@Thank youuuu,
I am with you. #CurbWalk is the new battle cry.
I like that. #CURBWALK for sure.
The people “are” now realizing. This bad English is driving me up a wall…
Yes, Yes and Yes. I agree with your honest and Transparent comment. YESSSSS.
This is not the real Farara. You are an NDP faker.
Hhmmm, well said farrara, at least some people see it our way. The poor people suffering, no jobs for the young men an women of this island. All you seeing in the news is tax money spending what a let down.
More funds trying to be allocated to pay for stupidness, an our fire headquarters in desperate need of attention. You ANDREW your team is no better than NDP. Although they had flaws, I know the people regretting this four years.
This bill would have not been had the attorney general not advised the other side.
H*ll, I am going to say it, Andrew didnot not want to be Premier, he became Premier to prove that he could do it. He sit back and play the Knight in Shining Armour while hiding the ??. Fire House, Nursing Home and so many things of importance that is being pushed on the back burner.I have no problem with my taxes being used for the above mentioned, but I have a problem with my taxes being used to pay for two menopausal men stupidity.
I feel the same way you do. I don’t think the tax payers should pick up this tab. Mark and Willock should be made to pay for such. More Women is needed in Government and running Government. I am sick of these MENOPAUSAL CHANGE OF LIFE MEN IN GOVERNMENT.TIME FOR A WOMAN TO BE ELECTED AS PREMIER OF THE BVI.
Could the public believe this blogger?? Andrew didn’t want premier, now come on, when we all saw he cut Fraser throat while on the opposition’s years ago, to fight for to be the party leader. I am a VIP supporter well was, to say the leeast , I thought a change was necessary but we tolians look like we jump from the frying pan into the fire. I could see honest an fed up people crying out.
He wanted Premier status, the power and to prove that he could do it. I keep telling you guys, all you have to do is sit back watch and listen you will get all your answers.Silence is GOLDEN. Someone is always watching and listening.
What an embarrasment! BVI deserves better. Somebdy palms got greased best believe that!
If the BVI was not embarrased at Mark action that caused all of this then they wouldn’t be embarrased now.
Nope who who, the BVI was also ashamed of the SPEAKER’s action as well. Don’t put all the blame on Mark. They are both responsable for what went down. Both of them should be the ones paying back the monies,not the tax payers. We are already paying for bodyguards/ baby-sitting/ nannys and travel expense.
I hold both Mark and Willock responsable for the mess. I like Mark and I also patranize his business every week and will continue to do such. But, Mark and Willock should be held responsible for paying back the money, not the tax payers. Give the tax payers a break. They pick up the tab for everything. They don’t get a tax refund check back at the end of the year for all the taxes they pay out. Give them a break.
They are those of you who only wait for one controversial story to hit about the Premier to blog all day. This is clearly on the shoulders of the attorney general and mark.
@Clearly, this group can clearly see that you are one of the A** Kissers looking for a quick come up. The voters have a right to their opinions.PLEASE DON’T FORGET THAT THE PREMIER AND HIS ADMINISTRATION WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY.WE ARE THEIR EMPLOYER. HE WANTED THE POSITION, HE GOT IT NOW HE HAS TO DEAL WITH IT.
I don’t have time to sit and blog about your Knight on his steed. People have a right to speak their opinions.The people is Just fustrated and feel like they are being fed a line of Bull**it everyday.
Let the speaker pay for his assishness
WOW!
AYO THINK THIS FAIR ???????
The legal fees are too high, the government needs to negotiate for a reduction of the fees. It should not have happened in the first place, the speaker should be replaced.
Blogg all day what??can’t you see the people are fed up? I salute the brave people for pointing light on these subjects. With the previous government unemployment was never so high. Health care through the roof, an you refuse to pull up the VIP. The total radical moves to just inject monies where not necessary, is awfully. These poor virgin islands.
We are not going back to the old government either. Get that out of your head from now.
No! No! Mr. Premier! We shouldn’t have to pay for the Speaker’s Legal Fees. No! that was his decision, not the People’s decision in the 4th District Melee. He didn’t seek the Public’s Advise and therefore Our Taxes should not bail him out.
Don’t get me wrong! I am a VIP Supporter all the way, but Fair is Fair this One here, I don’t agree on at All!
And that is fine, you have a right to support and continue to support VIP. But I have to say thanks for being straight about your comment. Yeah, Fair is Fair.
$270,000! is that the cost of a couple of hearings? The speaker should lose his position for NOT tendering NOT hiring a BVI firm AND costing the taxpayer so much when he had clear advice from the AG and Governor, Dont forget this huge chunk of hard earned taxpayer money is leaving the country. Willocks attorney was arrested for kickbacks, is this why the HOA chose Veritas over so many great BVI firms?
https://www.bvibeacon.com/willocks-lead-attorney-arrested-in-trinidad/
We already paid for a top of the line SUV … {wha he dun mash up twice} and now for this eg********l drama ?
we are sticking with both the speaker and the VIP, the NDP to dam corrupt bottom line
jump high jump low the esteemed speaker is not going any where.
In fact he needs 8 years in the job BAM
Oh then gain it have not reached 1.2 M let alone 8 M
This is a waste of tax dollars. The AG had give clear legal advice. This case was dead in the water. Never had a chance of a win not even by a long shot. But the Speaker had to run up a bill.. of nearly $300,000.00, cause it was never his own pocket that had to feel the burn. Everything this administration do got a trail of question marks behind it. I thought I felt was making a good move when I vote VIP in but every time I read the news I saying #NeverAgainVIP! NeverAgain
It is time for the ladies to take out the boys. There is enough ladies in the BVI to sit the boys down and show them the right way to run a Country. After all the Women is the ones that is holding things down. It is time for ladies to take their rightful seat at the head of the table like the true boss ladies that they are. It is time for a female Premier in the BVI.
I would love to see more Women in Government and a Woman Premier. There are to many of us to be held back. I agree, Women, it is time to take your rightful and deserved seat at the head of the table, not the side seat, the head of the table. #TRUEBOSSLADIES.
at least we still trust Mr. Willock’s integrity and he has never been associated with corruption unlike MV, MVW and MP
Headlines are sometimes misleading but this must be some kind of a joke man. There must be consequences for wasting our money like this. And I’m not talking about being thrown out every 4 years. This is some sick shiiit.
They need to take on put of Willocks pay not the tax payers money. He to damn self centered and look how we now have to pay for his stupidity for what Mark still bin the house and the tax payers have to pay for it. Naw man.
Mr. Willock and Mr. Vanterpool are both on the BVI government payroll. The HOA should legislate to garnish their wages for as many years as it takes to pay their legal fees. The tax payers should NOT pay their legal fees.
Perimer go and sit down after your speaker of house full well knew that the court proceeding was required. He needs to foot bill from His salary. No shame!
Mark started this with his nonsense. Mark is the one who took it to court. The Speaker had a right to defend his position. The AG compromised himself advising all sides of the dispute. Mark let the cat out of the bag when he revealed that the AG advised him before even advising the governor. But you all anti-Willock and anti-Fahie. Go sit down!
How about seeking the funding to assist the little burnt toddler on VG… think most of us taxpayers would agree with that instead of paying for something that hard headed, eg********l Willock created.
Much to do about nothing Mr esteem was right to take this matter to court on the behalf of the people
All the blogging by the 5 same persons all day will not change public opinion that Mark, Myron and the ndp has put this country back 20 years
Now go blog on this fact!!!
Blaming the speaker of the,house,no it not him,it is the premier,that is a cover,up.it was the Premier,behind, it,school children.don’t lie,
I am not a Willock fan but I also heard the Premier was the one behind the HOA mess.
Willock we got you